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At a news conference this morning at a Giant Eagle store in Cuyahoga Falls, the Foodbank reported the number of people who are using their service has increased 29% from numbers they recorded in 2006. Thats a record for the local foodbank.

Many of these people who are coming to the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank are first time families who have never relied on charity or a food pantry in the past.

Dan Flowers, the executive director of the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank, says upwards of 40,000 each week are receiving emergency food donations from the Foodbank, soup kitchen, food pantry or other agency.

Flowers expects the number of clients who depend upon their services to continue to rise unless the economy makes a sharp turnaround.

WATCH Dan Flowers talks about the hunger survey

Flowers says the Foodbank will continue to help as many people as they can because of the generous support of the community.

Nationally, more than one in three households are experiencing hunger, a 54% increase from four years ago. Flowers doesn't see any significant improvement in the economy any time soon that wouldmean a reduction in demand for food for the needy. He says until the economy picks up, the families seeking first time free food aid will continue to grow.