Appropriately, the Catholic Charities food bank here is tucked in the corner of a shopping mall. Its clients come from generally affluent suburbs; many felt disbelief when hard times compelled them, for the first time, to seek help.

Norma Bacino resorted to the food bank after her husband left, leaving four preteen sons in her care. Months of steady assistance have made Bacino cheerfully grateful: "If I had a million dollars, I'd give it to them." But her first visit to pick up donated food was difficult.

"You're down and out, you're apprehensive," she said. "Even though you realize you're not the only one, it's culture shock."

Bacino, 44, is part of a phenomenon occurring at urban, rural and suburban food banks nationwide - a surge of first-time clients who never before considered themselves needy but suddenly, because of a layoff or other challenge, cannot pay their rent or living costs.

"Our affiliates all tell us, 'We've never seen so many people come in who we've never seen before, who say they need help just this one time,'" said Kevin Seggelke, CEO of the Denver-based Food Bank of the Rockies.

Many of the Denver-area newcomers recently lost good-paying jobs with high-tech firms, and - unemployed or forced into low-paid work - fell behind on mortgage and car payments, Seggelke said.

According to the Agriculture Department, 11 percent of U.S. families - encompassing 34.9 million people - are "food insecure," meaning they lack the means to ensure themselves of healthy meals and are vulnerable to at least a mild form of chronic malnutrition.

A U.S. Conference of Mayors survey of 25 cities found that demand at food banks rose 17 percent in 2003, with Denver and Trenton, N.J., experiencing the biggest surges in families seeking help.

Catholic Charities of Trenton has experienced a 40 percent increase in demand for emergency food aid this year - including a 43 percent rise in Delanco and other suburban towns of Burlington County, where nearly 600 families a month are getting help.

Many families first seek help with back rents, mortgages and utility fees, but Joyce Campbell - director of Catholic Charities Emergency Services in Delanco - said her agency lacks the cash to help with such requests.

"We suggest they come into the program to get some food and clothing and save their money to pay their bills," she said.

Campbell said housing costs are the biggest single factor behind the rising demand for food aid. Some families report spending more than two-thirds of their income on rent. "The government needs to step up and build some new low-income housing," she said.

The demand at food banks has increased even as government officials try to reach more people with the federal food-stamp program, which subsidizes food purchases for 23 million low-income Americans every month.

The food-stamp caseload rose 36 percent from 2000 to 2003. But Sue Hofer of America's Second Harvest said 40 percent of those eligible for the program do not use it, sometimes out of ignorance and sometimes because they deem the application process too onerous.

The Urban Institute, in a recent report, urged government officials to intensify outreach efforts, reduce red tape and eliminate any sense of stigma for recipients.

"The culture at food-stamp offices needs to change from one that primarily focuses on preventing food-stamp fraud to one that encourages families to use this nutrition assistance," the report said.

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