Food insecurity increasing in Wasatch County

CCPC Heber Food Pantry. Photo: Townlift

WASATCH COUNTY, Utah – The Christian Center of Park City, a 501c(3) nonprofit, has been a staple in the Park City community since 2000, providing relief systems to struggling Summit County residents. In 2013, the CCPC established a new location in Heber City, which helps provide food relief to some Wasatch County residents.

Located just off main street in downtown Heber, this CCPC location has a thrift store as well as a food pantry. The food pantry helps provide struggling Wasatch County residents with groceries and basic supplies. Individuals are welcome to shop twice a month, as long as they can prove they live in Wasatch County. All groceries and basic supplies in the food pantry are free of charge.

The CCPC food pantry in Heber receives donations from local grocery stores, as well as a few nearby restaurants and vendors. The Bagel Den in Heber donates fresh bagels, and Crumbl cookies were on the shelf this past week. They also occasionally receive canned food from food drives and the Utah food bank.

The recent increased cost of living has made an impact on both residents of Summit and Wasatch Counties. These past 3 months have seen a 10% increase in individuals consistently shopping at the CCPC Heber food pantry location compared to the same months in 2021.

While more people are shopping for groceries at the Heber location, the CCPC is faced with another issue, as they have received 11% less in total food donations in the same time frame. As budgets have tightened, there is less food for people, grocery stores, and restaurants to give away.

Additionally, people are becoming more reliant on the food pantry. According to the CCPC Director of Programs Matt Melville, “People are cutting back on buying food at grocery stores and coming here more often… this means that they are going to take more food and need more food from here.”

Food insecurity is a real issue in Wasatch County and the CCPC  is working to solve it. In 2021, their food pantries in Heber and Park City served nearly 13,000 households, and distributed over $380,000 through their basic needs assistance program.

The CCPC is always looking for volunteers, donations, and assistance. The CCPC’s Heber food pantry is open from Monday-Friday from 11 a.m to 4 p.m.

If interested in volunteering or donating to the CCPC, please refer to their website.