Food banks expecting increase need of food assistance as gas prices soar
In this file photo, Jeremiah Henderson, of the Corner Cupboard Food Bank, prepares to unload a pallet of food that was donated by a retail store. (Photo by Karen Mansfield)
In this file photo, volunteers help pack boxes at the Fayette County Community Action Agency鈥檚 food bank. Food banks and pantries in the region are preparing for an increased need in assistance. (Photo courtesy of the 缅北禁地)
The Greater Washington County Food Bank, a division of the Food Helpers, has already seen an increase in need due to rising prices. (Photo by Katherine Mansfield)
With the price of gas and other every-day items on the rise, some area food banks have already seen an increase in requests for assistance, while others are preparing for the inevitability.
Corner Cupboard Executive Director Candice Tustin Webster hasn鈥檛 seen a jump in numbers 鈥� but she anticipates it.
鈥淚t鈥檚 unfortunate, but that鈥檚 why there鈥檚 services like ours 鈥� to help people,鈥� she said.
The Waynesburg-based organization feeds about 2,000 people monthly through a network of 11 pantries in the county. Webster said she always tries to be prepared to feed more.
To that end, Corner Cupboard has relationships with local and out-of-county grocery retailers, including one in Washington County that provides up to 8 to 10 pallets of food each week.
鈥淲e鈥檙e glad for that,鈥� Webster said. 鈥淚t allows us to offer that much more fresh produce and bring in many more donated products, so we鈥檙e spending less on food.鈥�
The organization鈥檚 12-foot box truck can鈥檛 hold the amount of food being donated, so Webster said they started a fundraising campaign several months ago, hoping to raise $180,000 to purchase a 26-foot refrigerated truck. They鈥檙e currently a little over halfway to that goal, she said.
Fayette County Community Action Agency Food Bank Manager David Bork hasn鈥檛 seen a big increase in numbers, either, but he expects assistance requests to jump.
鈥淚鈥檓 sure (they) will in the near future; it takes a little while to trickle down to us. I have a feeling it鈥檚 going to affect everybody,鈥� Bork said.
It usually takes a month after a significant occurrence 鈥� whether it鈥檚 higher gas prices or the pandemic 鈥� for people to see a strain in their resources and contact the food bank for assistance, he said.
Bork said they serve between 1,600 to 1,800 households per month, and they鈥檝e prepared for an increase in need by having a fully-stocked warehouse ready and continued food shipments coming in weekly.
Because FCCAA has 60 food pantries throughout the county, Bork said they鈥檙e able to refer clients to the closest pantry to them so that they don鈥檛 have to drive far and exacerbate financial strains by using additional gas.
鈥淭hey don鈥檛 have to travel long distance to get food,鈥� he said.
The Greater Washington County Food Bank, a division of Food Helpers, has already seen an 18% increase in distributions for its Community Outreach Program over last month. GWCFB also saw a 45% increase in attendance at its Fredericktown distribution on March 2, going from 93 households to 134 households.
鈥淲hen food and gas prices increase, food insecurity is going to increase,鈥� said Justin McAtee, director of marketing for GWCFB.
Those most likely to need assistance due a rise prices are part of the 鈥渋nvisible population,鈥� McAtee said 鈥� those who were already bordering on the need for help.
鈥淎s prices began to rise in February, we supported almost 700 households, an estimated 2,800 individual people,鈥� he said.
By the end of March, he expects the GWCFB will support 825 households, and they鈥檙e planning for more.
鈥淲e鈥檙e ordering months in advance rather than a month at a time, we have warehouse ready to go, we have hundreds and hundreds of (items of) shelf-ready food prepackaged and ready to go when there鈥檚 a spike in need,鈥� he said.
Representatives from all of the food banks and pantries said donations are always appreciated. They can be reached at:
n Corner Cupboard: cornercupboard.org or call 724-627-9784;
n FCCAA: www.fccaa.org/donate or by mailing a check to Fayette County Community Action Agency, 108 North Beeson Boulevard, Uniontown, Pa. 15401;
n GWCFB: www.foodhelpers.org/getinvolved or call 724-632-2190.