The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Community food pantries in need
Opioid crisis, stagnant wages leading to more food insecurity
In Lake County, 11.5 percent of the population lives in a state of not knowing where tomorrow’s meal will come from.
From Sept. 30, 2016, through the end of fiscal year 2017, the Greater Cleveland Food Bank distributed nearly 2.9 million pounds of food —or 2.4 million meals — in Lake County.
“I don’t think people realize the need in the area,” said Karen Pozna, the Cleveland Food Bank’s director of communications. “Our numbers are steadily increasing. Yes, the recession is technically over, but what we are seeing is that many people may be getting jobs again, but they are lowerpaying jobs, and they’re living paycheck to paycheck. One small thing — like a car repair or medical expense — could set them off and put them in a tailspin where they find themselves in a situation where they need help. I just read a statistic that the majority of people who come to our food pantries only come once or twice a year. Sometimes, they are just having a bad week.”
Diane Raggets, director of the nonprofit Eastlake Area Kiwanis Inc. Food Bank, predicts more people will be coming in needing help with food insecurity in November and December.
“People are having it a little bit harder, especially seniors,” she said. “Overall, donations are down. I’m hoping for the holidays it picks up. We need soup, cereal, peanut butter and juices.
“We depend on individuals and companies for food or cash donations. We buy 99 percent of our stuff from the Cleveland Food Bank. We are a choice pantry. People can come in with a cart and they get to choose what they like. Each item has a sign up stating how much of each item they can get based on the size of their family.”
Pozna said high-protein canned items are always appreciated, but cash donations are best of all.
“Money goes the furthest. We can buy fresh produce with cash,” she said. “For every dollar donated, we can provide enough food for four nutritious meals because we buy everything in bulk.”
Residents from surrounding counties are also struggling this holiday season with food insecurity.
The Geauga Hunger Task Force has seen a 7 percent increase over 2016 in clients requiring three meals a day for 10 days, according to Susan Juhasz, president of the Task Force Board.
In 2016, the Task Force helped more than 15,300 people. In 2017, that number rose to 16,400.
“If the economy remains the same, 2018 could be over 2,200,” Juhasz said. “Wages are not keeping up with costs. We project the increase of retiring seniors and baby boomers will keep that portion of our clients also increasing for years.
“We know that many residents are the working poor. They work but with an unexpected financial challenge, they then are at risk for living with hunger. We also know that those on fixed incomes have to make decisions between heat, medications, or food during the winter. Hunger knows no limits. It crosses race, color, creed, age, educational background and religion.”
The increasing number of grandparents and extended families now raising children because of the opioid crisis is also a factor.
“The opioid crisis affects the entire family in many ways,” Juhasz said. “These families need our support in many ways, food included.”
Local food pantries stock proteins and carbohydrates, in addition to vegetables and fruit, year round.
“Our pantry captains and volunteers also work to make sure that the important ingredients for the holidays are available,” Juhasz said.
Area residents can help food banks by calling the United Way’s 2-1-1 social service referral service.
Although food banks appreciate canned goods, paper items and soap products are also needed.
“Those on the SNAP (food stamp) program can only buy food with those dollars,” Juhasz said. “So laundry or bath soap, tissues or toilet paper cannot be purchased that way. Toothpaste and tooth brushes are also a great donation.
“Our food banks also try to stock foods for those on dietary restrictions like lowsodium diets. And they try to stock pet foods as those beloved pets are a family member to our clients in good times and bad. Those cats or dogs give great comfort when life is hard.”
For food insecure people who prefer a no-questions asked approach to finances, Food Not Bombs volunteers set up every Tuesday from 3 to 4 p.m. at the BP gas station in Willoughby at Erie and Vine streets.
“We see anywhere from 60 to 100 people a week,” Food Not Bombs organizer Maggie Rice said. “We give fresh produce and bread. Our donations mainly come from produce distributors, and local restaurants like Kleifeld’s and Erie Street Station. Food is not our biggest problem because there is a lot of food waste. Businesses give us lots and lots of produce and we distribute the good stuff. Our biggest problem is transportation of the food and tables. We have so much food we keep running out of tables to distribute it. Handwarmers and lights are also on our wish list.
“At the end of the day, we usually do have food left over, so we take the leftovers to area shelters. We also distribute food in Painesville to the immigrant community. Whether they have ID or not, are a U.S. citizen or not, they can get food from us.
“Folks in Lake County have been in a tough spot for awhile, and I don’t anticipate that will change. Whether they are on food assistance or not, it’s not enough. The main thing is, people don’t stop being hungry on Dec. 26. We see people all year. We’ve been really happy to see local businesses who give back.”