Food Pantries In Demand, But Shelves Running Dry

from the Journal and Topics Newspapers

By TOM ROBB

As food and gas prices skyrocket, more and more local families are turning to area food banks to help make ends meet.

Area food pantries are struggling themselves to carry enough food as demand is up and federal subsidies are down 30% from a year ago.

The Self Help Closet and Pantry in Des Plaines is signing up three to four new families a week to take part in their assistance program.

The pantry currently has about 300 regular "clients"---families signed up to regularly receive food once a month.

Office manager Shirley Eilken said the pantry usually sees a drop-off in demand in the spring when seasonal construction and landscaping jobs are more plentiful, but said that has not been the case this year.

She said the organization usually signs up new clients at a rate of one or two new families a week.

Catholic Charities operates a center food pantry that serves hot meals two days a week on Rand Road in Des Plaines.

The center services clients from the surrounding suburbs and the far Northwestern side of Chicago.

Regional Services Rep. Mary Beth Heartman said she has seen a 25% increase in the traffic in the last year.

The organization has served an average of 300 families in January, February and March of this year and said April is on pace to be the same.

She said 300 families translate to about 1,200 to 1,300 people.

That is up 25% from one year ago.

She said she is also seeing many new faces at hot dinners Catholic Charities provides on Tuesday and Thursday nights. Heartman added the increases have been steady since last fall. She said many of the new people are working families. She is also seeing a lot more children.

Heartman said the food pantry in Northfield Township recently put out a call for extra food as their stores are running low.

Heartman said supplies are tight at the Greater Chicago Food Depository (GCFD) that supplies Catholic Charities and many other pantries with food that is deeply discounted.

GCFD Director of Communications Bob Dolgan said federal dollars are down 30% from last year, donations from the food industry (grocery stores and food manufacturers) are down 10% and fuel costs are up $38,000.

Dolgan added he has seen more demand in the Chicago suburbs as a Heartland Alliance study found 400,000 people in the Chicago suburbs living under the poverty line.