Food pantries, especially around the holidays, are in need of canned and non-perishable foods.
Directors at local food pantries are taking stock — then giving away everything they have, looking at empty shelves and wondering how they’ll feed the people who are hungry tomorrow.
While some area pantries are keeping up with the need, others are facing an uphill battle for the holiday season, with Thanksgiving only four days away.
Silver Creek
One local food pantry, in particular, is struggling.
“Supplies are very low,” said Colleen McKenna, executive director of the Silver Creek Food Pantry. “It’s a little bit of both — that (donations are) down, need is up. Every year, when it gets colder, we see more clients.”
McKenna explained that during the spring and summer, the village pantry services about 100 families per month.
But when temperatures drop, that number rises to about 130, and at Christmastime, that number climbs again, to 150.
“I think it’s because more working families need help,” she said. “There are layoffs for the winter — a lot of these people are seasonal workers. They do construction, landscaping, farm work. Ends just aren’t meeting. Maybe they’re working two part-time jobs, but they’re minimum wage. They’re trying, but it’s just not enough.”
McKenna said she is grateful to the organizations and businesses in the community that help. The post office holds a food drive, a Boy Scout troop collects food in the spring, the Polar Bear Swim brings in donations, and the school holds a large drive every year.
“But,” she said, “with the amount of food we give out, it never stretches far enough. We always need more.”
The word “dire” comes to mind.
“Our freezers are almost empty,” McKenna admitted.
And Thanksgiving is less than a week away.
Items needed include frozen turkeys, gravy mixes, stuffing, baking mixes and baking products, pancake mix, cereal and canned fruit. Meat, if it’s butchered, must be professionally butchered and in unopened packages. All food must be “in date,” or not expired.
Monetary donations are always great, too, said McKenna.
“We can stretch dollars a little farther, because we buy food (in bulk),” she said.
Checks can be mailed to The Silver Creek Food Pantry, PO Box 173, Silver Creek, NY 14136.
For those in need, hours are Thursday evenings from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. and Friday mornings from 10 a.m. to noon. For more information, call 934-4570.
Brocton-Portland
The Brocton-Portland Food Pantry is doing slightly better than it was doing at this time last year, thanks to generous community members who have kept the organization in their thoughts as summer months waned.
“We are doing a little better this year,” said Luppa Henry, director. “Last year was amazing — the donations that came forward after (we reached out). That giving has been carried out, too, through the year.”
The Brocton-Portland Food Pantry serves about 120 families each month, though near the holidays, that number spikes up to about 140.
“And that’s just the Brocton-Portland area,” Henry said, commenting on the greater need throughout the region.
Donations will be more than appreciated right now, but there are many requests for soup, jelly (must be store-bought), fruit (fresh or canned), and holiday items like scalloped potato mixes, gravy mixes, squash, stuffing, frozen turkeys, any kind of fresh potato, frozen pies, dessert mixes and ingredients, butter, cheese, and, as Henry put it, “anything you yourself would want for the holidays.”
Call Henry at 326-2492 for hours or more information.
Dunkirk
Kathy Peterson, director of the Rural Ministry in Dunkirk, said her staff is expecting to feed about 200 households for Thanksgiving.
“We’ll probably distribute about 200 holiday food baskets on Tuesday,” she said. “We had an application out, and people could apply (for help). We’ll also serve a meal at the Friendly Kitchen (on Central Ave.) on Thanksgiving Day, and that’s open to the public. We’re all set on food and volunteers for that day.”
Peterson said that Thanksgiving is covered, largely because of the generosity of individuals, churches, groups and businesses in the community.
“One business gave us 160 turkeys,” she said. “Another business gave us enough disposable foil pans to include (with the turkeys), and we’ve never been able to do that before. We got 160 dozen eggs from someone else. Right now, we’re taking inventory and looking at what our needs are for Christmas.”
Peterson said that donations of gravy packets or mixes, canned vegetables, fruit, cranberry sauce and sweet potatoes are needed.
“We’re also hoping to get bread or rolls,” she said. “We had a pallet of juice delivered, so we’re good on that, but we’re only halfway set with stuffing. We still need that — we did get about 100 (boxes of that) donated.”
Dessert mixes and ingredients would also be appreciated, like brownie, pie and Jello mixes. People also love pumpkin, cherry, and apple pie, Peterson noted, so canned fillings and frozen pie crusts or dough would be great (along with condensed milk for the pumpkin pie!).
The Rural Ministry does have enough sweet potatoes, squash, and white potatoes, thanks to community donations.
Applications for Christmas help will be taken Dec. 1, 2, and 5-8, Peterson noted, from noon to 3 p.m. each day. From there, the staff will assess needs, then team up with St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church and the Salvation Army “so that everyone can get what they need,” Peterson said.
Items always needed at the Rural Ministry are paper products and personal care items, as well as plastic grocery bags — don’t throw them out, donate them!
“We go through about 1,000 a month!” Peterson said. “We can never have enough.”
To get an application for holiday assistance, or to fill out a sponsorship form to help a family in need this Christmas, see Peterson at the Rural Ministry office at 127 Central Ave. or call 366-1787.
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