Long Island Cares says there has been a huge increase of those suffering from food insecurity between 2021 to 2022.

The nonprofit says they are seeing a 60% increase in the number of people who have visited their six satellite locations, which represents around 42,000 people.

Long Island Cares Food Bank President Paule Pachter says a driving factor in the increase is inflation.

"As we have all heard, the cost of a dozen eggs is hovering around $6 a dozen and people's wages are not going up to meet the increase in the cost and that's what's driving all these people into the pantries," Pachter says.

Pachter says the state and federal government ending the moratorium on gas taxes leading to an increase in gas prices recently that is not helping things either.

He tells News 12 a lot of the people who need food are also working.

"One in every four people that come to visit the food bank are working and they're pulling down $50,000, $60,000 for a family of four," Pachter says. "But as we know a household in Suffolk County that's just not enough to stay about things."

The food bank says more food purchases by the bank and donations from the public are very important right now.