WBOY.com: Clarksburg, Morgantown: News, Sports, WeatherPhilippi Food Pantry Affected by Peanut Butter Price Hike

Many of us are aware of the increased price of peanut butter. And like gas, many of us purchase it anyway. But for families already struggling, this is having a big affect on what gets served at the dinner table. Especially for those families reliant on food pantry donations.

"The more expensive things you buy at the grocery store. Like peanut butter, canned meat, even vegetables, they've cut back on giving as much vegetables," said Linda McCarty, Emergency Services Coordinator at Heart and Hand.

People may still buy peanut butter for themselves and for their family, but when it comes to making donations that seems to not be the case. And this is a big problem for food pantries trying to serve people in need.

"Well it's a big deal because it's a staple and that's what our families give their children," McCarty said.

Peanut butter can help feed a family for quite some time.

"If you get one jar of peanut butter, it can feed two children for a week. If you get two cans of tuna it lasts one day," McCarty said.

So even though other items might cost less at the grocery store it might not cost less overall.

"A large jar of peanut butter is almost five dollars," McCarty said.  "It's four dollars or something. And with that five dollars you can buy one large jar of peanut butter or you can buy fifteen boxes of cornmeal. So people are thinking it that way so they can give us more. But they are giving us less because kids can't just eat cornmeal."

Some of those items don't last as long either.

"Peanut butter goes a long way," McCarty said.  "It does. You can stretch peanut butter out a long way. You can't stretch out other things."

The pantry said it is accepting of all donations, but wants people to think before deciding what to donate. It's important to choose items that last a long time because the families only receive three days worth of food every other month. Items that can be stretched can help a family out for a much longer period of time.

Also, it's important to pick items that people will enjoy eating, especially for children. Remember to keep in mind meal plans. Pasta is good, but it requires other ingredients such as sauce. Try to think how you would prepare an entire meal and maybe even include a recipe the family can make with the items in the box.

You can contact Heart and Hand by calling 304-457-1295. For more information on food pantry shortages click here.