Church provides free groceries as inflation creates greater need

SALT LAKE CITY — Every Wednesday for over a year a line of cars has snaked around this neighborhood for the grocery pickup.

“Meat, a lot of eggs, milk — anything, it costs more,” Carolina Larsen knows the grocery prices are tough on some.

The grocery handout is at the Salt Lake Christian Center at 4300 S and 700 E.

The line has only grown longer with recent inflation.

The center gathers donations from food banks, or unused items at Costco and they hand them out to those who need it.

And volunteers do it with a smile… or dance like Wilma Menezes.

“When I am not here… they’re like ‘where’s the dancing lady,'” Menezes says.

People who can’t afford groceries utilize the service.

“(We) load up as much as we can for everybody,” said volunteer Lauren Maze. “We have extra in the basement so if we get low we run down there and bring it up!”

Then there’s people like Carolina Larsen who pick up and drop off groceries for those without cars.

“I know some people from church come to get it,” Larsen said. “They are really in need especially now that the prices are really high.”