More families, including those considered middle and upper class, are seeking assistance from Los Angeles area food pantries in what those organizations say is an unprecedented surge in demand, reports the Los Angeles Times.

The situation has forced food banks to face tough management decisions, as donations have not kept up with the high demand and food prices continue to climb.

The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, for example, saw demand increase by 80 percent in recent months, the paper reports. At SOVA Jewish Family Service of Los Angeles, 28 percent more people were served in June than over a similar period in 2007.

“We’re seeing an increase in people who never would have asked for help in the past,” Joan Mithers, a director at the organization, tells the Times.

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