GREENSBORO, N.C. (WGHP) — Higher food prices are making it difficult for charitable programs to help those in need.

One group in Greensboro hit another setback in these tough times when a break-in wiped out their food pantry.

“It’s wrong,” Joe Gardner, a volunteer with the Vandalia Presbyterian Church in Greensboro, said. “It’s wrong, that is all I can say.”

Gardner got emotional when he talked about the missing food in the pantry at the church. Leadership has received its highest demand for food since 2009, going from 50-60 people in need to over 100.

“I will be going to Second Harvest Tuesday to try to replenish what was taken so that we will not be just handing out cans of food and stuff like that, but we’ll do the best we can to recover from this,” said Gardner.

“Times are tough right now. Times are tough for a lot of people and so the people who come to the food pantry – the numbers are growing every week,” said Lynn Gardner, who organizes the pantry.

Thieves broke in through a window, tipping over an AC unit. The damage to that is nothing compared to what they took, though.

“They were interested in meat, they were interested in chicken breasts, pork roast, they left most of our canned things alone,” said Lynn.

Several hundred dollars in frozen meat was taken from the food pantry.

“We were already stretched about as thin as we could go,” she said.

A computer they use to help keep track of the families they feed was also taken in the robbery.

“Pried the molding off the pastor study door and went in there and took our computer that Second Harvest Food Bank gave us,” she said.

Judy Mays, who helps pack up food for the pantry, says she’s sad about what happened, but she refuses to let it impact the families they help.

“Usually they have choices. We won’t have as big of choices this week because of the items being taken, but we are still here to serve,” said Mays.

“It would be wonderful to have some extra donations,” said Lynn.

Vandalia Presbyterian Church food pantry volunteers have asked Second Harvest Food Bank managers for additional donations this week. No matter what happens, they’ll serve the community at their food pantry location at 101 West Vandalia Road in Greensboro.

Vandalia Presbyterian Church also has a clothing closet that operates from 7:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. on the days the Food Pantry is open.