Workers at blood donor centers and pet food banks have identical comments about the increase of people entering their facilities — the new faces are from all walks of life and represent a cross-section of society. The director of one donor center [1] in New Mexico commented, "All walks of people come in to donate," she said. "We have teachers, students, people who work for the city. We're definitely seeing a change in who is walking through the door, but they're all saying the same thing. They all say they need a little extra cash to pay for gas."

Similarly, the executive director at a pet food bank in Santa Cruz said, "In the past, the demographics has been people who are disabled or on disability and senior citizens. Nowadays, during the pet food program, I see people who are able-bodied and not able to find a job.'' The pet food bank she runs, which typically provides about 5,000 pounds [2] of free pet food each month, has seen a 20 percent demand increase in the past six months.

Source [3]