News
Sign Of The Times? FoodBank fields 30 percent increase in need
By Ryan Fennell
NEPTUNE - There's no need to tell anyone at the Foodbank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties that times are tough: requests for assistance are up more than 30 percent over September, 2007, and supply is just barely keeping up with demand.
"As quickly as the food is coming in, it's going right out," said Barbara Scholz, Developmental Director of the Monmouth and Ocean County Food Bank, said. Executive Director Susan Kelly expects the increase in demand to reach as high as fifty percent compared to last year after a tally is calculated at the end of the month.
"For Thanksgiving we have met the requests of our charities," Kelly said. "Normally people sign up in advance, but we are experiencing additional people showing up that can't afford food, and charities are coming back to us for additional supplies."
As of Thursday November 20th, the Food Bank had 8,500 turkeys and all but fifty of them were committed to families or individuals Kelly said.
"However we were blessed this past weekend," Kelly said.
According to Kelly a group of people pulled into the Food Bank with 100 turkeys to donate while employees and their families from Smith Barney's Red Bank and Toms River offices arrived with 250 turkeys.
On Monday, Eileen Stoner a teacher at Cedar Drive Middle School in Colts Neck brought a group of eighth grade students to volunteer at the Food Bank.
Stoner has been running an elective class for eighth grade students called Community Connections. Stoner has been bringing students to the Food Bank every other Monday for the past three years. The class is a service learning elective with a requirement of at least eight hours of community service through an agency. During class time the students learn about issues in the community including homelessness and hunger.
This particular Monday, the students were told that approximately an hour before they arrived that a large amount of emergency food needed to be prepared in packages for people coming to pick them up.
The students prepared holiday packages and were greatly needed in that situation to get it done according to Kelly.
"We were in the right place at the right time," said Stoner.
"It's different this year," Kelly said. "There is a real sense of tragedy and fear in people's voices, and there is a different feel in the communities. We haven't seen it this desperate before."
"We are working as hard as we can, and we are getting a great response from people," said Kelly. "Every person donating is also feeling the hurt but [is] still have a commitment to go the extra mile. I compliment the people working at the food pantries. They are looking in the eyes of those struggling and seeing it first hand."
Although the Food Bank is in decent shape for the Thanksgiving holiday, Kelly said they are "not sure about December."
"Hunger and poverty doesn't take a vacation," Kelly said. "It doesn't celebrate a holiday. It is year round and every month it seems to be more."
According to Kelly, the Food Bank distributed four million pounds of emergency food to charities and food pantries in 2007. This month alone, the Food Bank has distributed 500,000 pounds of emergency food.
"We are looking at it closely, and we'll gauge the situation by looking at the December numbers," said Kelly. "If it continues with this momentum it'll be a real indicator of Main Street."
Kelly noted that Governor Jon S. Corzine is "staying on the pulse" of the situation.
Kelly said Corzine has funded a state food purchase program and has added an additional $3 million in stimulus for the program.
"He is concerned, and it is a good thing that legislators are involved," Kelly said.
State Senator Joseph Kyrillos, Jr. (R-13) has been a long-time supporter of the Food Bank according to Kelly.
Kyrillos is currently using his office in Middletown as a drop-off point for donations of non-perishable food items and plans to continue receiving donations "for the foreseeable future or until the situation stabilizes" according to Kyrillos.
"Feeding the people of our community has become a partnership of all levels of the community," Kelly said.
"There are a lot of people helping and all of [them] should try to pitch in as we can," Kyrillos said. "It is a difficult time for many families in our area as it is across the country. The Food Bank shelves are not as full as they used to be, or we'd like them to be. There are more and more families that need extra help. We are trying to do our share."
