Published: November 22, 2009 12:15 am      

Food pantries see increased demand

DANVILLE — The federal government has classified millions of Americans as “food insecure,” according to a study done by Mathematica Policy Research.

The study, commissioned by Feeding America (the nation’s largest food bank network), found that 7 million people seek emergency food assistance every week.

There are numerous food pantries in the area that provide assistance.

Locally, the St. James Methodist Church Food Pantry has seen a 200 percent increase in families it helps since opening in February 2008.

“When we opened, the first month we helped 99 families,” said Sue Olson, coordinator of the pantry. “This past month we provided food to 303 families.”

The pantry, held on the third Wednesday of each month, is funded by donations from the St. James congregation, as well as others in the community. The food pantry is operated by members of the church.

To enroll in the food program, a family must not have an income greater than 150 percent of the federal poverty level as set by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The 2009 federal poverty level for a family of four is $22,050.

“We require participants to sign a form stating they do not exceed that level and we require proof of family members,” Olson said. “That is usually through Social Security cards or medical cards for children.”

The amount of food and the variety of food available varies from month to month. The food pantry purchases its products through the Eastern Illinois Food Bank in Champaign.

Olson said the need for food assistance to area residents is increasing.

“The past month out of the 303 families we helped, 148 were new to our pantry,” she added.

According to Olson, there are no plans to change the location.

“We use the church basement and we usually receive our food shipments just prior to the date we distribute our food,” Olson said. “This way we do not need a lot of storage space.”

Olson said there would be no food distribution in December because the church basement is used to store toys for the Toys for Tots program.

Georgetown

Georgetown Township operates an emergency food pantry.

“Our food pantry is strictly for food emergencies,” said Penny Holycross, township supervisor. “We usually provide food on a case-by-case basis.”

“For example, a parent may have to stay home from work with a sick child and perhaps not receive enough of a paycheck to cover living expenses and food,” Holycross said. “They could then contact the township office and we would put together an emergency food box for them.”

Holycross said the food pantry is being used more this year.

“I would say our demand has doubled over last year,” Holycross said. “In the past we may have had a family in here for help once a year, but this year we have had repeat users of our service.

“People are really more desperate for food this year.”

The Georgetown pantry operates only on donations from area residents. Because it does not deal in a large amount of food, it must purchase food from local stores to stock its shelves.

However, in November and December, the food pantry receives a generous boost from the Second Church of Christ in Danville, which collects a special donation for the food pantry.

“This is the fifth year that the church has helped us out,” Holycross said. “Their help is greatly appreciated.”

Rossville

At the other end of the county, the Morningstar Church in Rossville operates a weekly food distribution program.

“Our food pantry distributes food boxes every Tuesday between 5 and 7 p.m.,” said Bridget Ault, food pantry coordinator for Morningstar Church.

Ault said Morningstar has seen an increase in the families needing assistance.

“Last year we averaged 250 boxes of food we filled each week,” Ault said. “This year we are giving out between 280 and 300 boxes each week.”

In a recent week, they distributed 311 food boxes.

“We estimate we feed about 4,000 to 5,000 individuals each week,” Ault said.

“We normally see an increase in the winter months,” Ault added. “The increase usually coincides with layoffs in construction jobs.”

Ault said that the food pantry serves anyone in Vermilion County and that recipients have to sign a form stating their income is at or below the poverty level.

The Morningstar Food Pantry is funded by the church, individual and business donations. They get all of their food products from the Eastern Illinois Food Bank in Champaign, Midwest Food Bank in Bloomington and West Newell Company in Champaign.

Potomac

On the west side of the county, residents in Potomac and Middlefork Township can go to the Potomac Pantry, which distributes food items on the third Saturday of each month.

“We have seen a 25 percent increase in families using our pantry,” said Shelly Cessna, village clerk of Potomac and coordinator of the food pantry. “At our last distribution we provided food to 112 families.”

Cessna said the Potomac Pantry is funded jointly by the village of Potomac and Middlefork Township as well as donations from individuals, businesses and churches.

There is no pre-registration required for the Potomac Pantry but recipients are required to be residents of Middlefork Township. Because Cessna is the village clerk of Potomac, she said she pretty well knows everyone but if she doesn’t recognize some-one, she will ask for identification.

Danville pantry

The Danville Area Food Pantry partners with the Salvation Army to provide food items for those who need its services.

Danville Township provides intake services for those seeking food pantry services. The township also provides space for the pantry at its No. 2 building on Walnut Street as well as manpower assistance on days the food pantry operates.

The food pantry is open three days a week with the other two days being covered by the Salvation Army.

The Danville Area Food Pantry has several guidelines it follows for determining if applicants are qualified.

All applicants must show identification with proof of residency. Need must be demonstrated for each visit to the pantry and the food pantry is not intended to supplement persons already receiving food stamps.

The pantry also allows only one visit each 60 days. Persons seeking food pantry services must apply in advance at the Danville Township office at 141 N. Walnut St.

The Danville Area Food Pantry raises money in the community to operate. Two main fundraisers are the letter carrier food drive on the first Saturday in May. In conjunction with the National Association of Letter Carriers Branch 25, letter carriers collect food donations as they deliver mail on their routes.

The second major fundraiser is the Frostbite Marathon, which is conducted outside of the Towne Centre County Market the first weekend in December. This food collection is sponsored by County Market and WDAN/WDNL Radio. The goal is to fill a semi trailer with donated food items.

FAST FACTS

A study done by Mathematica Policy Research in 2006 found that:

-- More than 25 million people received emergency food assistance

-- Nearly two-thirds were women, 9 million were children and 3 million were elderly

-- Nearly 39 percent were white and 38 percent were African-American

-- Nearly 36 percent had one adult working in the household while 12 percent were homeless

-- Most recipients had to choose between food and other necessities, such as rent and utilities

-- Private charities provided the bulk of emergency food services

-- Most of the organizations providing emergency food services were faith-based

-- Volunteers were crucial to food pantry operations