New clients at the food bank: Your neighbors and friends
Posted
Nov 17 2008, 03:29 PM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
People who've recently dropped out of the middle class are turning to the nation's food banks and soup kitchens for help, further straining agencies that always struggle to keep up.
And that doesn't include the people who are too ashamed to ask for food.
"For some people it's very difficult to go to a pantry -- it's the straw that breaks the camel's back," Paule Pachter, director of the Long Island Cares food bank, told Reuters.
There are several ways you can help.
Soaring job losses and foreclosures also mean fewer donations: Many people who used to give are becoming prospective clients. "The new face of hunger is middle-class people. Working people," Randi Shubin Dresner, director of the Island Harvest food bank, said in an interview with Reuters.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture says that 36.2 million Americans are "food insecure" -- but those are 2007 numbers. Advocates for the hungry say they've since gone up.
Some big names are stepping up the plate.
Most recently, Feeding America (formerly America's Second Harvest) announced that longtime supporter Kraft Foods is funding 25 "mobile pantries" to help the organization transport food from its 200-plus member food bank warehouses to neighborhood distribution points like food pantries, soup kitchens and parking lots. Kraft is also matching cash donations to Feeding America. (To make a donation, click here.)
We're not just talking about that food bank staple, Kraft Mac & Cheese. These deliveries will include fresh fruit and vegetables.
Rock icon Bruce Springsteen, a staunch supporter of the Community Food Bank of New Jersey, appeared in a newspaper ad that declared, "We can't let this bank fail." Demand at the food bank has gone up 30% in recent times, prompting the organization to consider rationing for the first time, The Associated Press reported.
What else can you do to help?
Donate food, time or money to your local food pantry or soup kitchen. Recommended food bank donations include: canned fruits and veggies, canned tuna and canned meat, beans, pasta, rice, peanut butter and cereal. Don't donate aging, opened, unwanted jars of stuff you've come across while cleaning out your fridge. But if spaghetti or fruit cups are left over after the big church dinner, those will likely be welcomed at the local soup kitchen. If in doubt, call first.
Urge your local supermarket to share. Many already make food donations, but if yours doesn't, remind the manager or corporate office that stores are protected from liability by the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act. Sadly, many supermarkets toss lots of produce and pour milk down the drain before its expiration date, even though the milk would be good for another week.
If you need food for your family or want to help out, you can find a Feeding America-affiliated food bank by clicking here. They can tell you about the local free-food sources in your town or city. For instance, the Montana Food Bank Network in Missoula supplies food to a food bank, soup kitchen and other organizations in our town.
