Published: November 25, 2008 12:05 am            

CITY OF TONAWANDA: Food banks in high demand

More than ever this holiday season, food pantries across the nation are seeing increased demand.

That’s evident locally as well, with not-for-profit agencies around the area reporting more people coming in for assistance.

“The number has increased drastically,” said Joanne Guercio, who has directed the food pantry at the Salvation Army in the City of Tonawanda for 23 years.

“This is probably the busiest year I’ve seen in all the years I’ve been here,” she said. “The need every year has grown, but it’s growing more quickly now.”

A hunger study conducted in 2006 by Feeding America, the nation’s largest food bank network, found that more than two million New Yorkers turn to soup kitchens, food pantries or shelters for help each year.

“Our agencies are reporting an increase in need, and our distribution is up 11 percent,” said Kathy Mendez of the Food Bank of Western New York, which provides food to approximately 100,000 people each month through more than 400 agencies across Erie, Niagara, Cattaraugus and Chautauqua counties.

“It’s very unfortunate, but we predict that it’s not going to get any better,” Mendez added.

While its shelves aren’t as full, the Salvation Army’s food pantry has been able to meet demand. Boy Scout Troop 600 conducted a food drive that collected 4,452 items for the food pantry and donated them Nov. 15.

The boxes were stacked more than five feet high on wooden pallets. Now, though, the stacks have been reduced to just one box. “That’s how busy we’ve been,” Guercio said.

That’s because the Salvation Army, which serves the Twin Cities and Ken-Ton communities, is providing food for 25 percent more families this year than last year, Guercio said.

On Monday alone, 14 families stopped by to apply for food assistance. Typically, there would be three or four. In October, the Salvation Army’s food pantry helped more than 100 households. “Every month it’s increasing,” Guercio said.

The Salvation Army provides a variety of canned goods, cereal and pasta to needy families, and tries to help out with meat, whether it’s canned beef stew or a frozen turkey. “We’re trying to make sure that the food we’re giving the households is well-balanced for that family,” Guercio said.

More families are using food pantries because of two key factors — the current economic crisis, which has forced layoffs at a number of local companies, and rising food prices.

Guercio said the Salvation Army is accepting applications for assistance from more working poor families than it has in the past, including one that came in Monday in which the family’s mother and father both work but are finding it tough to get food for their four children and make ends meet.

The Salvation Army accepts referrals but also takes walk-ins. Those seeking assistance must provide identification for each member of their household, plus income information.

By reviewing income data, the Salvation Army can also recommend families for other assistance, such as food stamps or HEAP.

In addition to providing food, the Salvation Army is trying to make Christmas a little brighter for needy families throughout the Tonawandas with its Christmas program, which provides families with three meals for the holiday, plus toys for kids.

Guercio said 300 families have signed up for the Christmas program this year, compared to 275 a year ago.

Contact reporter David J. Hill at 693-1000, ext. 115.

        

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