Many think of the holiday season as a time to give, but few see the other side. About twice as many people requested food from the Help Center, a food pantry in Mexico, last month. While some food pantries overflow with food during the holidays, the demands for food are also increasing. People are often generous at the Help Center, but the food providers said they have learned to save and that it is important to make the food last the entire year.

Executive Director of the Help Center, Kaylie White said, "Even though I have an over-abundance right now, I don't overload it because I know that has to last me until I get my next food."

The Help Center gives each family 28 pounds of food from the Central Missouri Food Bank and 45 pounds from their pantry. Families can visit the food bank up to four times per year. Though a lot of the food the Help Center receives comes from the Central Missouri Food Bank, they rely on donations and food drives to fill their pantry as well.

Cans stack high as students at Mexico High School gather donations for the Help Center. Some say it's important for high school students to learn to give back to the community.

"We now have to help each other out. And being a member of this community for a period of years, if you don't help the people that live right next door to you, then who can you help? I mean, who can you best help?" said Mexico High School teacher Susan Gheens.

Gheens says students need to learn to give, no matter what it is they're giving.

"It's really funny, I tell the kids that they need to go through their own cabinets and find what they don't like and put those in a sack and bring them to school and donate it," said Gheens.

The Help Center says the food they get from the high school food drive should last them through March. The Help Center's only source of income is a thrift store, where they sell bags of clothes for a $1.50. The Help Center provides food to about 400 families a month.