A food bank in Bethlehem feeds hundreds of people, but now its shelves are nearly bare.

To someone driving by Friday, it appeared the New Bethany Ministries Food Bank was getting a big delivery, but on closer inspection, the evaporated milk, green peas, salt and coffee are barely enough to fill a nearly bare pantry.

"We have an extreme shortage of food, more than the three years that I have been here," said Diane Elliott, executive director.

That, Elliott said, is because the food bank just found out it would no longer be getting 4,000 pounds of food a week from its major food contributor. 

The food bank provides 300 to 400 baskets of food to people in the community each month, but if the shelves are bare, that's something it can't sustain.

Having its food supply cut in half couldn't come at a worse time. Now is the time when New Bethany assembles food baskets for Thanksgiving. This month's donations would have helped accomplish the task, but since the food bank is in crisis mode, it's focusing on the basics.

"We are in desperate need of soup. We are in desperate need of tuna and other caned meats, beef stew, things of that nature, said Elliott, who noted that New Bethany feeds around 165 people a day. Losing the food donation, she said, will have an impact.

New Bethany does get food from other sources, but it will have to find one or two companies to help replace the lost donation.

For more information about how you can help, contact New Bethany Ministries, 339 W. 4th St., Bethlehem, at 610-691-5602 or newbethany@newbethanyministries.org.