More local families are seeking aid from a Winona food shelf in 2009.

Demand has spiked at the Winona Volunteer Services food shelf, spurred largely by high unemployment, an agency spokeswoman said.

The shelf saw a 21 percent increase in the number of families it served from 2008 to 2009, and has distributed 40 percent more food so far in 2009 than at this time last year. That’s consistent with sharply increased demand at food shelves across Minnesota, says a spokeswoman for an agency that coordinates state anti-hunger efforts.

The growing need is stunning workers at Winona Volunteer Services, a nonprofit social-service provider on East Second Street.

“It’s blowing our socks off,” Volunteer Services director Sandra Burke said.

Joblessness is driving a nearly 30 percent increase in food shelf demand throughout Minnesota, said Jill Hiebert, spokeswoman for Hunger Solutions Minnesota, which coordinates more than 300 food shelves statewide. Although Minnesota jobless claims have actually declined in each of the last five months, many food shelf visitors lost their jobs in early 2009 and haven’t worked much since, Hiebert said.

“The unemployment is pretty much the cause – people that just aren’t able to get re-employed,” Hiebert said.

The increasing demand has an immediate consequence for Minnesota shelves: They must collect more food. Hiebert said there’s plenty available in statewide food banks, though some shelves might be struggling to pay for it.

Winona Volunteer Services has been aided by increased donations from area businesses in recent months, Burke said. But she doesn’t know if the need for food will keep increasing.

“We want to see the trend go down,” Burke said. “To project out and anticipate a growing need like this, it’s a little scary.”