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COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. -- The number of Americans living in poverty is on the rise.

The U.S. Census Bureau's annual report released Tuesday said America's overall poverty rate is 15.1 percent, or 46.2 million people.

With millions of Americans struggling and out of work, it is easy to see why the poverty level is so high, and why food banks are so important right now.

The Census Bureau's study was taken from U.S. households in 2010 when joblessness sat right above nine percent.

Officials with the Care and Share Food Bank, which provides food for 325 soup kitchens and missions in southern Colorado, distributed more than 18 million pounds of food in 2010.

They rely on the public to help keep their shelves stocked, but over the past few years the economy has taken its toll.

"In the past four years we have seen that donated food has gone down by 50 percent," Care and Share CEO Lynne Telford said. "That is really unfortunate because it is where we get our greatest variety."

Despite the food bank's best efforts, Telford said they can only help 35 percent of the people in need in southern Colorado.

She said almost half of their recipients have jobs.

"They ran out of food, and she had a hard time paying her bills," Care and Share Volunteer Program Manager Issac Ring said. "She needed more money and did not have any until next paycheck."

So while the nation is focused on staying a float, Care and Share is keeping their shelves stocked by raising financial donations, and getting local companies to help with food drives.

The Census Bureau's report comes out the same week Care and Share is trying to get locals to put their food budget to the test.

They want shoppers to spend only $35 on groceries, the same as a person on food stamps.