Prodisee Pantry is one of the largest food banks on the Gulf Coast, serving families in need in Baldwin County. Based in Spanish Fort, the pantry annually distributes over 600 tons of food and receives over 10,000 family visits. Prodisee Pantry is celebrating their 20th anniversary this year.

Deann Servos is one of the founders of Prodisee Pantry. Now serving as its executive director, Servos previously worked as a broadcast journalist and serves on a number of civic boards. She also has a farm in Stapleton where she raises sheep, bees and chickens.

Here, Servos discusses how the number of hungry people in Baldwin County is increasing, particularly due to the holidays, and how readers can help make a difference.

Questions and answers have been condensed and edited for clarity.

We’re heading into the holidays. And that can have an additional strain on people, particularly people that are one paycheck, two paychecks, three paychecks away from food insecurity. Do you all see a rise in the need for services this time of year?