Jaime Mira is deputy director of food insecurity at the Christian Center of Park City. He says each year the organization’s Wasatch Back food pantries see a spike in demand when the region’s tourism economy transitions into the next season.
“It’s a tradition here in Park City,” Mira said. “When the resorts and restaurants close, all the workers visit our food pantries. So this is regular. It’s not only this season.”
However, Mira says this year's off-season demand arrived early. Deer Valley and Park City Mountain hoped to ski into mid-April. A late-March heat wave prematurely ended winter operations, leaving some of the workforce without jobs weeks earlier than expected.
CCPC Executive Director Steve Richardson says a number of factors appear to be increasing need in the community.
“Gas is very expensive right now. The resorts are no longer open, there are not as many stores open, not as many tourists coming in,” Richardson said. “People aren’t working as many hours, people who are working odd jobs aren’t getting those, people who were working snow removal didn’t get that work. So we are seeing a lot of people at this location and in Heber City taking a little more food right now.”
CCPC can’t pinpoint specific reasons for the rising demand because it doesn’t ask about the circumstances of those it serves.
On a recent weekday afternoon, the pantry was bustling with shoppers selecting produce, canned goods, bread and other daily essentials.
Local grocery stores, restaurants and residents donate food for distribution at the pantry, which is staffed by volunteers.
CCPC also offers mobile food pantries. It purchases fresh food for those distributions, which occur at locations across Summit County and the Heber Valley.
“Typically we wait until May after the school season, but this year we decided to before the summer,” Mira said.
The first drop-off is April 21 at the Iron Horse Apartments in Park City. The events continue at apartment complexes and locations across Summit and Wasatch counties through September.