STOCKTON, Calif., May 27, 2008
Nation's Food Banks On Brink Of Crisis
Economy Driving New, "Nontraditional" Clientele Into Lines; Gas, Food Prices Sapping Resources
-
-
A man and a woman look for bread at the Emergency Food Bank in Stockton, Calif., Wednesday, May 7, 2008. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
-
Volunteers, at left, distribute food at the Emergency Food Bank in Stockton, Calif., Wednesday, May 7, 2008. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
-
-
News Tools Give, Get Tips To $ave On Food TAKE PART IN OUR FORUM and help yourself and others offset rising food prices!
-
Interactive Eye On The Economy In-depth features on U.S. markets, taxes, employment and the Federal Reserve.
Like nearly a third of the first 50 customers to arrive at the Emergency Food Bank of Stockton that morning, Hoffman was new to the pantry. But since she lost her sales job at a local newspaper in December, she has not found work in Stockton, which has the highest foreclosure rate in the country and a hurting job market.
"I'm down on my luck," Hoffman said, squeezing and sniffing the bread. "And food is going through the roof. I need help."
Hoffman, 55, is one of the growing number of "nontraditional" food pantry clients across the country. They include more formerly independent senior citizens, more people who own houses and more people who used to call themselves "middle-class" - those who are not used to fretting over the price of milk.
"We're getting calls all the time from people who want to know how to get here," said Kristine Gibson, community outreach manager at the Stockton food pantry. "And when I ask where they live, they give an address of a nice neighborhood, one where you or I would want to live."
April saw the biggest jump in food prices in 18 years, according to the Labor Department. At the same time, workers' average weekly earnings, adjusted for inflation, dropped for the seventh straight month.
To meet growing demand, America's Second Harvest-The Nation's Food Bank Network, pressed lawmakers for the past year to increase the annual level of funding for The Emergency Food Assistance Program, commonly know as TEFAP, from $140 million to $250 million annually.
A survey it conducted of 180 food banks in late April and early May found that 99 percent have seen an increase in the number of clients served within the last year. The increase is estimated at 15 percent to 20 percent, though many food banks reported increases as high as 40 percent.
The money was included in the Farm Bill recently approved by Congress, but won't be available until the next fiscal year, which starts in October.
"The way it's going, we're going to have a food disaster pretty soon," said Phyllis Legg, interim executive director of the Merced Food Bank, which serves 43 food pantries throughout foreclosure-ravaged Merced County.
Food banks across the country are in similar straits: While demand is up, supplies and donations are down. The food banks, like their customers, also are suffering from high gas prices and struggling with the impact of rising food prices on their operations. Some have had to cut back on how much food they give, or how often.
"If gas keeps going up, it's going to be catastrophic in every possible way," said Ross Fraser, a spokesman for America's Second Harvest.
Food banks sometimes have to move food 150 miles to a food pantry, he said.
"You're going to get to the point where they are going to have to decide whether it's cheaper to just give a food pantry a check," he said. "The price of gasoline is going to drive the price of everything else."
Quote
America's Second Harvest
Prices at the pump are at record highs, averaging just below $4 a gallon, and are expected to climb further.This is one of the worst times that our food banks have experienced in recent years in terms of the level of need and our ability to meet the need.
Vicki Escarra,America's Second Harvest
Stories of want and need are mounting. In informal surveys, America's Second Harvest has found a growing number of food banks in crisis mode.
Even in San Francisco, a city that has been relatively unscathed by the foreclosure crisis and economic downturn, food pantries are seeing hundreds of new clients.
"We've gone from serving about 450 to 600 clients a day since Christmas," said Sara Miles, director of The Food Pantry.
"This is one of the worst times that our food banks have experienced in recent years in terms of the level of need and our ability to meet the need," said Vicki Escarra, president and chief executive officer of America's Second Harvest.
The Emergency Food Bank of Stockton, which operates out of a cavernous warehouse at the fringe of town, now finds customers lining up several hours before it opens at 10 a.m.
That's because, clients say, the best food - the fresh meat and eggs - goes first.
"If I get here too late, I'll be left with Marshmallow Fluff for 14 days," said Sondra Pearson, a mother of seven. "Not," she added, "that I'm going to turn that down."
© MMVIII The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Add a Comment See all 89 Comments
- I am married and have ONE 9 year old Child and a CAT. My Wife and I chose to have only one Child because we wanted our child go grow up and have a few things and be able to afford to send him to college. Two children would have stressed us financially so we chose ONE. Times are hard right now illegals are stressing the welfare system and not paying into it and getting benefits and that is wrong. CHILDREN BORN TO ILLEGALS SHOULD NOT BE AMERICAN CITIZENS. These Illegal Mexicans know how to work the Welfare System and are getting a Free Ticket from the American Tax Payers and that is wrong and it needs to be changed.
- Reply to this comment
- Posted by pierson98 at 12:30 PM posted ::::
Stop having kids that you can''''t feed. All of you.
FOR REAL I AGREE. STOP HAVING KIDS THAT YOU EXPECT FOOD BANKS, WELFARE, OR THE GOVT TO HELP YOU SUPPORT. THE ERA OF CHEAP GAS AND FREE AND CHEEP FOOD JUST ENDED. It''s not my job to help you support your children, put a rubber on it and stop having kids that your pay check cant support. - Reply to this comment
- "Seriously dude, GOPSOCCERMOM. cannot be for real. I find it hard to believe that anyone thinks that way. and she/he is just posting to P!ss people off. it''''''''s really not worth your time to debate. He/she will only respond with something ridiculous "
Ditto, I thought GOPSoccerMom''''s comments were kind of funny! :-)
Posted by dredre2k
You''re right--no one with the exception of our current president is THAT stupid--are they?? - Reply to this comment
- They should be giving until it hurts... oh wait a minute, they are way too greedy to give anything except advice on how to destroy the country.
Posted by MsgtSteve
I thought we were already doing that in the housing sectors, Wall Street banking/lending institutions, the Iraq War, and the FED with interest rates? Guess the conservative approach to some of these issues has gone really well too!! Can''t be Marie Antoinette! - Reply to this comment
- Stop having kids that you can''t feed. All of you.
- Reply to this comment
- If we don''''t care about others and especially children who are hungry, what does that make us?
Posted by deacon20081 at 12:25 PM : May 27, 2008
Ummmm..... Liberals? Yeah that must be it. - Reply to this comment
As a child with 11 brothers and sisters I knew what it was like to be hungry. Clothes shopping for school? The best we received was from Good Will stores. It disgusts me that so many people make disparaging remarks about people who need help.
I don''t care who receives the food from the food bank, I donate what ever I can.
Most grocery stores in my area have coupons for 1.00 through 5.00 for food donations at the check out.
If we don''t care about others and especially children who are hungry, what does that make us?- Reply to this comment
- UH OH, without free food someone might have to find....... a job, oh the horror of it all. Where are all the liberals at this important juncture in time??? They should be giving until it hurts... oh wait a minute, they are way too greedy to give anything except advice on how to destroy the country.
- Reply to this comment
- High gas prices are eating everyone''s lunch. People who don''t have enough to buy gas and food stop giving to those poorer than they are. Riots in France? We are poised for World War III and the US is not ready.
- Reply to this comment
- Learn the damm truth about how the goverment robs you
http://wakeupfromyourslumber.blogspot.com/2006/02/mother-of-all-myths.html - Reply to this comment
- ''Nation''s Food Banks On Brink Of Crisis''
Pay attention libs.....this has NOTHING to do with the mortgage ''banking'' crisis, so don''t ask the fed gov''t to step in and bail them out! LOL - Reply to this comment
- I used to donate to all the food banks through out the year. But when you see a bunch of illegal mexicans lined up for free food that was enough for me. Why make it so easy for them and give them another hand out. Get them out of here and help our own people.....
- Reply to this comment
- OK it''s tea time, I will now leave you GOP PR cretins and Lobbyists to enjoy my cucumber sandwiches, hoping that you will remain faithful to your leader " Dr Strangelove Bush" until the very end. Remember, we know where you live !
- Reply to this comment
- jamesm12341, yes its sad isnt it? If only the his local public library didnt have interent access for the unfortunate, we wouldnt have to read his whining.
- Reply to this comment
- No wonder this country is going down the tubes, Bush, Cheney, SoccerMom and Jamesm ( a s s licker) Birds of a feather, Crooks one and all.
- Reply to this comment
- I''m a white male, retired on a pension of 85k per year.
Now do as you are told and go lick some more backsides. - Reply to this comment
- arlt, can you define "exsistence"?
Posted by jamesm12341
James, did you graduate from anywhere? No I can''t define that particular word because someone else did not spell that correctly. Thanks for being the human spellcheck machine for this forum.....what would we do without you? lol - Reply to this comment
- Gore Vidal " He (Bush) will not hold a serious conversation with anyone, he changes the subject to the Ball Game "
- Reply to this comment
- "Seriously dude, GOPSOCCERMOM. cannot be for real. I find it hard to believe that anyone thinks that way. and she/he is just posting to P!ss people off. it''''s really not worth your time to debate. He/she will only respond with something ridiculous "
Ditto, I thought GOPSoccerMom''s comments were kind of funny! :-) - Reply to this comment
- jamesm12341, you would if you needed a token minority. And you would be lucky to find one that spells that well.
- Reply to this comment
Mike Huckabee on GOP "rock stars," 2012, health care reform and more.
