Experts say more people are turning to food shelves and using food stamps to help them get by in tough economic times.
Food shelf director Rob Meehan says the number of clients at the Burlington food shelf grew from over 6,600 in the last quarter of 2006 to 8,800 in the last quarter of 2007.
And Renee Richardson of the state Department of Children says the 55,700 Vermonters who received food stamps in March was the highest number since record-setting 1994.
Meehan says people are being crushed by the increasing costs of fuel, food and housing.
He says the people he’s seeing are the traditional middle class who can’t believe they need the food shelf.