After the coronavirus pandemic and resulting lockdowns roiled the global economy, as people were thrown out of work or took cuts to their paychecks, the Food Bank of Northwest Indiana burst at the seams trying to keep up with record demand. The Merrillville-based nonprofit ended up distributing 10 million pounds of food to food pantries and food banks in Lake and Porter counties in 2020, or roughly enough for 9 million meals, CEO Victor Garcia said. To put that in perspective, the food bank's previous distribution record had been 6 million pounds of food. But in the first weeks of 2021, two major donations are helping the Food Bank of Northwest Indiana meet the increased need. A $250,000 donation from Cleveland-Cliffs and a $50,000 donation from Albert's Diamond Jewelers will help the food bank expand its food storage capacity, provide rides to help people get access to food and bulk up its food supplies.