Food pantries scramble to meet increasing demand

Jason Mitchell began recognizing the faces — faces he hadn’t seen in over a year.

They had come to Logansport’s Emmaus Mission Center’s food pantry during the height of the COVID pandemic, but as the threats tapered off they were able to return to work and no longer needed the services Mitchell provided.

But then gas prices jumped. And food prices soared. And inflation hit.

And the people started coming back.

“We are also seeing an influx of new families as well,” Mitchell, the director of Emmaus, said. “What we have seen in the last year and a half is four or five families come to sign up for assistance, seven or eight at most. (Recently) we had 20 new families sign up in one day.”

Price increases are happening all over the world. It’s not unique to the United States.

The war in Ukraine is a big reason. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a large wheat producer, has caused worldwide financial pain. Sanctions against Russia also hurt access to their wheat and fuel.

The Consumer Price Index reported that in September, cereals and bakery products had increased 16.2% in the past year. Meats had increased by 9%, dairy by 15.9% and fruits and vegetables 10.4%. Gasoline has increased by 18.2%.

The pain has been passed down to everyday citizens and those who help them.

Mitchell said nonprofit systems aren’t strained yet, but they are being tested.

Emmaus Mission Center doesn’t just provide a food pantry. Other services include a homeless shelter, a thrift store, energy and rental assistance

A lot of the food they offer comes from Food Finders, a Lafayette food bank. They also get generous assistance from Cass County residents.

“We are trying to stretch the food and the resources we have to feed more people,” Mitchell said. “So we have been actively looking for more donations where we can pick up more food. As more people start to utilize those services we have to look at how to balance the limited amount of food we get from donations with the increase in the number of people who apply for assistance.”

Food Finders plays a large role in helping services like Emmaus by offering food at massive discounts.

“They absorb a lot of the cost that it would take to purchase the food from elsewhere,” Mitchell said.

For instance, Mitchell said he could buy meat for 16 cents a pound from Food Finders or canned vegetables at a similar price

“Obviously their prices have increased too as they need to buy additional fuel,” he said. “Some of the things they used to supply to us at cheap prices are creeping up. It’s just a symptom of the economy right now. It’s still more cost effective for us to buy food in bulk at Food Finders than go to a local retail store and buy. But we are finding we are getting less food than we normally did.”

Food Finders, 1204 Greenbush St. in Lafayette, is a food bank that serves 100 food pantries and soup kitchens in their 16 Indiana counties.

A food bank is a warehouse that distributes food to entities like Emmaus.

To call it just a warehouse is a bit misleading, however. They also operate a fresh market (2200 Elmwood Ave., Suite C-7) that helps those in need. They support the backpack program that is in many schools and provides students with a backpack full of food to help them and their family through the weekend. They help people register for SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). They are working to build a senior grocery delivery service, and they run two mobile pantries that travel between the counties twice a mouth.

The mobile pantries are a result of understanding just how few food banks and soup kitchens there are in the area, Katy Bunder, CEO and president of Food Finders said. She estimates they serve anywhere between 150 to 200 families by giving each one 30 to 50 lbs. of food when a mobile pantry moves through a county.

As prices have increased, Food Finders has had to dip into their reserve fund to purchase food in bulk.

“It’s not an ideal situation,” said Bunder. “We are losing money and the agencies are paying more.”

Bunder said food became scarce during COVID. People were buying more than they needed out of fear, and things haven’t returned to normal.

Bunder estimates 300 to 500 households visit the fresh market each time it’s open. The Lafayette community has been very supportive during these difficult times, she said, with personal donations and food drives. Those donations account for only 1-2% for their food supplies, however.

“We need truckloads versus grocery bags,” Bunder said.

That’s not to say Food Finders isn’t thankful for any and all help they receive. It’s just the reality of the situation.