Food banks and pantries across the region are in need of help. High gas prices and home cooling costs are taxing people's budgets.

This comes at a time when prices at the grocery store are also going up -- also because of increased fuel costs and hot weather.

The Omaha Food Bank supplies pantries throughout the region. This summer, the Food Bank is supplying an additional 300,000 pounds of food to keep up with the increased need.

Patricia Watkins feels the weight of the rising costs. Her electric bill last month was $150 and her costs her $50 to put gas in her car. With bills like that it's hard for her to put food on the table.

She says, "I qualify for 88 food stamps a month. And the boys, they eat that in a week."

A hot summer coupled with high gas prices drain a family's finances while at the same time driving prices up at the grocery store. Poultry, beef and produce prices have gone up five to six percent in the past eight months according to one Midwest supplier.

The low income Outreach Food Pantry has seen a 25 percent increase in families needing food this summer.

Viola Jackson-Haag, with Catholic Charities says in addition to rising bills, "There are a lot of people out of work right now."

All of this is increasing reliance on pantries, "especially during the summer when there are children at home," Viola says. "Families sometimes have to decide do I buy medication for my family, do I pay the rent?"

Patricia doesn't know what her family would do without help from the food pantry.

She says, "There's been many days around here that food got really scarce."

You might soon be getting a brown lunch bag in the mail. It represents a child's empty lunch bag and asks you to make a donation to the Food Bank.

Also, if you have extra produce from your garden, the Food Bank encourages you to bring it to its distribution center at 68th and J streets.