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Brother, can you spare a can?
I have friends who work in food pantries, here in KC and around the country. They and their colleagues all are seeing the same thing — fewer donations to fill the shelves and more needy families looking for food. Harvesters, a food bank clearinghouse that supplies food pantries across the Kansas City metro area, said this back in October:
The number of people requesting emergency food assistance is increasing at a rate we have never seen before. Historically, we distribute 6% more every year—until this year. Since the beginning of 2008, we have seen a 30% increase in the number of pounds of food we have distributed. Based on a survey of our network pantries and kitchens, the demand for emergency food assistance is currently up 50% and is continuing to rise.
Meanwhile, donations from businesses, religious groups, community groups, and individuals are all way, way down, as everyone’s money is tighter and harder to come by.
It’s not just Kansas City. It’s Cedar Rapids, Iowa. It’s Washington, DC. It’s St. Louis, Missouri. It’s San Jose, California and the whole SF Bay area. It’s Anchorage, Alaska. It’s Columbia, South Carolina. It’s Honolulu, Hawaii. It’s Los Angeles, California. It’s all around, including your back yard, too. Don’t believe me? Pick a city at random, go to the local newspaper’s website, and search for stories with terms like "food bank" and "food pantry." Food banks everywhere are seeing a business that is far too brisk for anyone’s liking.
As if that wasn’t bad enough, though, things are also taking a new and even more painful twist.
Last week, one of my food bank friends told me that she was delighted when she saw a car pull up into their parking lot. "Oh, good! It’s one of our regular delivery folks!" she thought, recognizing that the car belonged to a man that regularly brought a big load of food every month from his workplace’s food drive. She went out to meet him with a big smile on her face, to help unload the food. When he saw her coming, though, he shook his head from side to side. "No, I’m not here to deliver food, but to pick some up. You see, our business went under, and I’m out of work now . . ."
Those who work in food pantries get used to the pain of those in need who come to them for help. But when they see their donors becoming clients . . . those are the stories that seem to hurt the worst.
If you are in a position to help fill up a neighborhood food pantry’s shelves, please pick up some extra food at the grocery store and drop it off. My food bank friend, her colleagues in other food bank, and the thousands upon thousands upon thousands of people they serve will be very, very grateful.
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I read the LA Times article this morning. There is no shortage of food but the distribution sucks.
Good morning Peterr, thank you for this sobering essay. I imagine the empty food bank problem will only get worse in the months to come, as Republican induced recession creates a wave of unemployment.
The phrase “tip of the iceberg” comes to mind.
Top 10 Most Needed by Food Banks
one of the things that most bugs me about not so much cash laying around is the inability to donate as we have in the past – but were relieved to learn some beans, rice, tuna, and peanut butter would help
Here in my small NH town, our Share program packaged and delivered over 275 boxes of Thanksgiving food and turkeys.
It’s getting busier and busier.
-G
Digg please
Nice list!
Every so often, we’ll make a “food bank” trip to the grocery, and get lots of these basics — especially when they go on sale.
Disposable diapers are welcome in our church’s food/clothing bank, it’s a tough expense for some young mothers.
A friend is the development director for the statewide food bank here. He has been talking for weeks about food banks around the country running out of supplies and not being able to keep up. We are not really to that point here, but we are getting there. He says both cash and food donations are way down at the same time demand is rising sharply. To all those who snarked that it wasn’t really a depression because we didn’t have bread lines, just wait they are coming.
Ask your state’s department of corrections to consider trying a gardening program. One such program in our state generated 9 tons of fresh produce for food banks out of a 1.3 acre plot.
Just a guess, but I think February is going to be Old Mother Hubbard Month at a lot of these food banks. “. . . but when she got there, the cupboard was bare . . .”
While we only have 5.5% unemployment here in San Antonio Texas and our housing market remains quite good, there are some high flyers who have lost their jobs and are now looking towards the food bank and according to our local news programs these people are not applying for food stamps.
Crazy. I’m killing time between cooking and baking, and I Stumbled! on this bit about a catfish…
When I went to check out the website’s owner, I realized it was Jeff Bridges — and he’s got interesting links related to ending hunger.
Serendipity.
The same seems to be happening all over the country. Back here in New York the lines at food banks and pantries stretch as far as the eye can see nad it breaks ones heart thinking that not all that long ago we used to be the wealthiest counrty in the world. Now with the mismanagement by both government and Wall Street we have become the greatest debtor nation on the planet.
Just a thought, but we had a fund reasier at a local high school and darn if those kids didn’t raise over $20,000 to help the needy. We were able to work out a deal with a local grocer and ended up stuffing an eighteen wheeler to its roof. I was floored to hear that the local food pantry was empty again within a week. The need is so great and time is so short. Obama says help is on the way. I hope those that truely need help can hold out till then.
Thanks for the Honolulu link. I’ll send it around.
We’re having a Thanksgiving dinner at my church (St. Clements) at noon today that is open to the public, and a church across the street is doing something similar. I go to help set up at 11, and my wife is making an interesting broccoli and grape dish(?!?) to share.
Bob in HI
I am afraid that it may come much sooner than that (like at or just after Christmas) if what my friend says is any indication. Donations are declining markedly and demand keeps expanding, even here in Montana where unemployment is lower than the rest of the country.