Soaring prices have area food banks anticipating increased need
Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
The Greater Washington County Food Bank, a division of the Food Helpers, has already seen a jump in the need for assistance due to rising prices.
Karen Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
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.
For the Observer-Reporter
In this file photo, volunteers help pack boxes at the Fayette County Community Action Agency’s food bank. Food banks and pantries in the region are preparing for an increased need in assistance.
With the prices of just about everything on the rise, some area food banks have already seen an increase in requests for assistance, while others are preparing for the inevitability.
“When food and gas prices increase, food insecurity is going to increase,” said Justin McAtee, director of marketing for Greater Washington County Food Bank, a division of Food Helpers.
McAtee said those most likely to need assistance are part of the “invisible population” – those individuals and families already close to needing help who can no longer make ends meet because of rising prices.
GWCFB has already seen an 18% increase in distributions for its Community Outreach Program over last month, as well as a 45% increase in attendance at its Fredericktown distribution on March 2, up from 93 households served to 134, McAtee said.
“As prices began to rise in February, we supported almost 700 households, an estimated 2,800 individual people,” he said.
By the end of March, he expects the GWCFB will support 825 households, and they’re planning for more.
“We’re 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’s a spike in need,” he said.
At Fayette County Community Action Agency, David Bork hasn’t seen a big jump in requests for assistance, but he’s expecting it.
“I’m sure (need will increase) in the near future; it takes a little while to trickle down to us. I have a feeling it’s going to affect everybody,” said Bork, who manages the FCCAA Food Bank.
Bork said it usually takes a month after a significant occurrence – whether it’s a spike in gas and other prices, or the pandemic – for people to see a strain in their resources and contact the food bank for assistance.
On average, FCCAA serves 1,600 to 1,800 households per month, and they’ve prepared for an influx by having a fully stocked warehouse ready and food shipments coming in weekly.
Because FCCAA has 60 food pantries throughout the county, Bork said they’re able to refer clients to the closest pantry to them so that they don’t have to drive far and exacerbate financial strains by using additional gas.
Like Bork, Corner Cupboard Executive Director Candice Tustin Webster hasn’t seen a jump in numbers – but she believes it’s coming.
“It’s unfortunate, but that’s why there’s services like ours – to help people,” she said.
The Waynesburg-based organization feeds about 2,000 people monthly through a network of 11 pantries in Greene 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.
“We’re glad for that,” Webster said. “It allows us to offer that much more fresh produce and bring in many more donated products, so we’re spending less on food.”
The organization’s 12-foot box truck can’t hold the amount of food being donated, so Webster said they started a fundraising campaign in November, hoping to raise $180,000 to purchase a 26-foot refrigerated truck. They’re currently a little over halfway to that goal, she said.
In Allegheny County, the Mount Lebanon United Methodist Church Food Pantry hasn’t seen any increase in the need of their clients, which range from 120 to 150 individuals and between 50 to 65 families they serve in the areas of the South Hills, Beechview, Dormont and Mount Lebanon.
“I can’t say I’ve seen a difference in a short period of time,” said Liz Dipietro, the food pantry’s coordinator.
However, she said, they’ll be prepared should a need arise. Dipietro said the pantry’s church family has always stepped up to help during tough times.
“The church parishioners are very generous with their donations,” she said, recalling extraordinary parishioner support during the pandemic that included giving clients gift cards to help cover expenses.
“We never had a concern to buy food because the parishioners that give are pretty steadfast about it,” she said. “If the food budget goes up, so be it. We’re always able to manage.”
Representatives from all of the food banks and pantries said donations are always appreciated. They can be reached at:
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;
n Corner Cupboard: cornercupboard.org or call 724-627-9784;
n Mount Lebanon United Methodist Church Food Pantry: www.mlumc.org or call 412-531-7131.