Nearly 300 Cullman County residents filed for unemployment in the last week, according to the Alabama Department of Labor. Since the week of March 13, close to 7,600 Cullman County residents have filed for unemployment benefits. Statewide, more than half a million Alabamians have filed claims with the Department of Labor.

Three months ago, Cullman County boasted one of the lowest unemployment rates in the state at 2.7 percent. For April, the county’s unemployment rate rose to 11.7 percent.

According to research by the U.S. Census Bureau, unemployment due to the COVID-19 pandemic is hitting families with children the hardest. The bureau said survey results this week “showed 55% of households with a child under the age of 18 had at least one adult lose employment income since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, higher than the rate for all households.”

Households with children where at least one adult was unemployed also reported sometimes not having enough food to eat, compared to households without children.

Cullman Caring for Kids Executive Director Javon Daniel said that’s true in Cullman County.

Although the overall number of families the food bank serves has stayed about the same, in April they had 171 new families, or families that had not been to Cullman Caring for Kids in a long while, come through.

“There is definitely an increased need,” he said. “Our shelves are very low.”

He said that the impact of the shutdown is now more acute, since stimulus checks have been spent and families are in need.

“It’s going to start being real bad real quick as far as food banks,” said Daniel.

Cullman Caring for Kids is getting fresh produce from local farmers through the Agriplex and will also receive boxes of food from the USDA’s Farmers to Families program through Daystar Church starting next week.

The agency also accepts monetary donations and food donations. Daniel said they can take cereal and canned goods that are out of date as long as the packaging is intact.

Monetary donations can be made by going to cullmancaringforkids.com or mailed to PO Box 698, Cullman, Al 35056. Food donations can be dropped off at 402 Arnold St. NE, Suite W-1.

Families needing food can pick up between 9 a.m.-12 p.m. and 1-3 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Friday, and from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. on Thursday. The food bank is doing no-contact deliveries to vehicles.

“Most people don’t want to have to come to a food bank to get help, but that’s what we’re here for,” said Daniel.