Around South County: Ruritans donate, deliver $1,000 in food items for south county food bank

For area food banks like the South County Assistance Network in Lothian, the economic downturn has caused a rise in demand for their services.

But local citizens and community groups are helping to keep the shelves stocked so the food bank can continue to provide for local families.

SCAN is a food bank that operates out of St. James' Parish in Lothian and is operated by a consortium of churches, essentially every church south of the South River.

Bea Hobbes, the food bank's secretary, reported at least a 12 percent increase in demand in the past couple of months - and that is an increase in demand over last...