It’s ironic, among other things. The less money they are given, the more people come to pantries for food support. No one debates whether food is too expensive for many people. The deeper the cutbacks, the more traffic there is. The price of heating oil and automobile gasoline is sending more people. Families are desperate to save every nickel.
I see the hollow eyes and troubled faces. Nobody wants to be in this position.
Today, Sarah is looking for what we call “essentials” – food that is necessary for people to feed their families, no matter how small or sudden their living quarters are.
Sarah’s request for today:
Scott Paper Towels, 6 Double rolls, 108 Sheets per roll. $6.96.
Arm & Hammer Baking Soda, 12-pack, for cooking, baking, cleaning, and laundry deodorizing: $18.96.
Huggies Clean Baby Wipes, 11 Packs, 704 Wipes.
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Photo above: Volunteer Barbara, 90 years old, just getting rolling, she says. She stacks and sorts the cereal. She is a wonder.
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In the Midwest, food pantries are working together, shortening hours, and cutting food. The Cambridge Food Pantry, with dedicated volunteers, a supportive community, and the Army of Good, is holding its ground.
We are grateful for the chance to help this wonderful and urgently needed cause.
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Sarah knows where every box and package and produce and canned products go.
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Thank you, thank you; you saved what looked like a lot of empty shelves for the week. Sometimes the Pantry needs only three or four items to fill its shelves for two or three days. We’re doing better than that most days, thanks.
A Feeding America report covering Eastern NY (including the Pantry’s area) puts it more starkly: 1 in 6 kids — over 98,000 children — are food insecure, and the reason that’s repeatedly cited is federal SNAP cuts, with the Regional Food Bank CEO estimating 44% of people currently facing hunger locally could lose SNAP eligibility. That’s pushing families toward pantries, just as USDA product supplies to food banks won’t be enough. More cuts were announced yesterday.
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New: According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, Diesel Fuel in the Northeast is averaging about $6.50 a gallon today, September 28.
This is significantly increasing traffic to food pantries throughout the area, including this one. Farmers and truck traffic are both especially hard hit.
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Thanks for the Ravioli, it’s going very quickly. They could use more.
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