MADISON, Wis. — Food Banks in Wisconsin are in need of donations this holiday season as the pandemic has raised food insecurity rates in the state by about 40%.

“Every season has its challenges and I would say that the holiday season is one where people think of hunger more,” said Michelle Orge, CEO of Second Harvest Food Bank.

Second Harvest is based in Madison and serves 16 southern Wisconsin counties. Orge said people have been generous this year, but there has been some pandemic fatigue. She's hoping that doesn't impact a time of year where people traditionally think of donating to food banks.

“Without our traditional holiday bump in funds donated we're going to dip below what we usually do and this sis a year that we need to go above and beyond,” Orge said.

According to Second Harvest, the number of food insecure people in Wisconsin has risen 207,570 since the pandemic began — making the total now 723,500. The jump is particularly pronounced in children, now one in five kids in Wisconsin are facing hunger.

Organizations like Second Harvest or the Hunger Task Force in Milwaukee say people have stepped up from local communities, businesses, farmers and more. Federal aid and the USDA Farm to Families Food Box program have helped too, but that aid runs out at the end of the year.

“So there's going to be a substantial decrease in the amount of funding available for the purchase of food from food banks and a substantial decrease in the loss of those food drive boxes,” said Sherrie Tussler, executive director of the Hunger Task Force.

Tussler said it's hard to know what, if anything, is coming on federal aid after the new year. No new federal aid package has been passed yet and an administration change is scheduled in January.

“There's going to be, I think, some short-term hardship in January and February while we have that change in administration and while some programs end and other programs begin,” Tussler said.

The Hunger Task Force is encouraging people to take advantage of government aid programs if they need help feeding their families.

The pandemic has cut down on food banks abilities to accept donated food and hold food drives. While helpful, those didn't make up the majority of donated food anyway. Food banks need are looking for monetary donations in particular.

“There aren't food drive barrels out there like there used to be, there aren't food collections going on like there used to be, this is a year that things are super virtual,” Tussler said.

Donations now can help food banks operating budgets in 2021. Orge said with the uncertainty they have had to look at where they may need to cut back on food distribution.

“Every dollar means that we can provide more food to people who have never found themselves in this situation before and who are going to continue to need food in the upcoming months,” Orge said.

The higher volume in need has also taken a toll on food bank workers — particularly as the pandemic limits volunteer possibilities.

“We're tired,” Tussler said. “We're working a lot, we pretty much work and then we go back and sleep and we come back and work some more.”

However, food banks say they're prepared to keep working. They are also bracing for the long haul, because hunger needs are likely to last longer than high coronavirus case counts.

“This is going to last a long time for a lot of people,” Orge said. “Even when we're through this, even when we're through the pandemic, things are going to better, but damage has been done to people's food security.”