LAKEWOOD, Colo. (CBS4) - With so many people out of work, more families than ever need help putting food on the table. And right now, a Colorado food bank is in desperate need of donations.

Giving is down and the number of families needing help is way up. The small food bank in Lakewood is in need of canned vegetables and soups, pastas and proteins.

It’s a tiny food closet but it meets a great need. It’s run by the Labor’s Community Agency, the nonprofit service arm of the AFL-CIO. Over a decade it’s grown from the occasional box of food — to see a union family through the holidays — to now helping hundreds of people a year.

“In the past two years we’ve serviced 389 families,” Maria Palacios with Labor’s Community Agency said.

That includes union families and community members referred by United Way. Palacios says many are desperate.

“I’ve had quite a few people that come into the food pantry tell me that they have absolutely nothing at home,” she said.

The problem now is that supply is nowhere near demand. Most shelves are depleted and some are totally empty.

“The top food items needed are proteins, canned chicken, tuna and beef, and they’re completely out of peanut butter,” Palacios said.

They need all kinds of cereal and pasta, diapers, baby formula, and personal care items, including toothpaste and shampoo.

“We don’t have any shampoos, conditioners.”

The agency is asking union members to donate. A community collection will be held May 21. The hope is to pack the tiny pantry.

Labor’s Community Agency also tries to help struggling families pay their rent and utility bills. The agency is located in Lakewood at Wadsworth and Mississippi.