The Karuna Food Pantry in Ottawa is struggling to keep up with food demands due to falling temperatures and rising grocery prices.

The Karuna Food Pantry is run by One River Zen abbot Michael Brunner and One River Zen co-founder and Buddhist priest Vanessa Roddam and supported by the One River Zen community. The micro-pantry serves as a resource for community members experiencing food insecurity.

“What we’re seeing now is unlike anything since we began,” Brunner said in a news release. “With inflation, dipping temperatures, and the upcoming loss of SNAP benefits, more families are struggling. We have donations coming in daily, and it’s often empty again within hours.”

Roddam said the pantry’s name continues to guide their response. “The goal has always been to meet people where they are,” Roddam also said in the news release. “It’s a way of expressing care and solidarity. But right now, the need is outpacing our resources.”

“You can see how quickly it goes,” community member Bob Carlson said in the news release. “People are hungry. The pantry has become a real lifeline for local folks.”

The food pantry operates on a “take what you need, give what you can” principle. The pantry’s donations are provided by community residents.

“The outpouring of kindness has been so wonderful to see,” Brunner also said in the release. “But we could really use help keeping up. Even a few extra cans or a grocery store gift card can make a huge difference.”

“This is the heart of community,” Roddam said in the news release. “We’re all in this together in a very real way, and when we care for one another, everyone benefits.”

Nonperishable, freeze-safe food items including canned goods, pasta and rice can be donated at the pantry, online at oneriverzen.org, or via email at outreach@oneriverzen.org.

Karuna Food Pantry is located at 121 E. Prospect Ave. in Ottawa.