States are taking an out provided by Congress to avoid cutting food stamp benefits to families, many of whom already depend on food banks like the Alameda County Community Food Bank in Oakland, Calif.(Antonio Mena / Courtesy of Alameda County Community Food Bank)

Back in January, some food bank officials started warning about the end of a COVID-era program that sent extra support to food stamp recipients. They expected a lot of people in our region to have a rough spring, and that's playing out now - especially with inflation driving food prices higher.

KUNR's Bert Johnson reports on the impact for the Mountain West News Bureau.