Food banks and pantries across the greater Cincinnati area are seeking more donations and volunteers as they experience an influx of individuals seeking food as costs at the pump and grocery stores continue to rise.
Food banks and pantries are dealing with what Lisa Hamler-Fugitt, executive director of the Ohio Association of Foodbanks, calls "the perfect storm," which is leading to the increased demand for volunteers and food. That storm, she said, has the potential to brew into a public health crisis if action isn't taken.
Shortages in the global supply chain have resulted in higher prices at the gas pump, along with at the grocery store. Hamler-Fugitt said those price increases – coupled with higher utilities and rent costs – have led to more Ohioans seeking out food pantries and their services.
"Your rent eats first," Hamler-Fugitt said. "If your rent's gone up, you had to take part of your food budget in order to pay that additional increasing costs of rent. The same thing with gas."
Food and gas costs add to pandemic strain
Global supply chain shortages caused some food prices to increase in 2020, but food and gas costs have risen even more sharply since then, creating a multiplier effect for consumers. Because of that effect, most of the families Freestore Foodbank serves have spent their reserves just trying to maintain stable, said Kurt Reiber, president and CEO. About 75% of the families that come to Freestore's large-scale food distributions have never been to one of their pantries.
Mary Delaney, executive director of Community Matters, said the organization's Community Market started feeling similar pressures in the past year. The pandemic has led to some individuals coming to the market on a more routine basis and an increase in appointments after its regular hours, Delaney said.
The dramatic increase in prices has also been felt at food banks and pantries based in Kentucky. In March, about 65% of food banks saw greater demand for food than the previous month, Katrina Thompson, executive director of Feeding Kentucky, said.
The Brighton Center in Newport, Kentucky, has 47 different programs supporting those in the area, including a food pantry. Eric Owsley, director of the Family Center, said the pandemic caused a spike in need for all of the Brighton Center's programs at the Family Center. That includes the food pantry, the emergency assistance program and financial assistance program, Owsley said.
Thompson also said the increased demand at food pantries coincides with the loss of some federal assistance, like emergency allotments for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. SNAP emergency allotments ended after April for Kentuckians, but continue for Ohioans as of June, according to USDA's website.
Higher fuel, good prices hit pantries
Food pantries and banks are feeling the same strain from food and gas prices as those they serve. Thompson said Feeding Kentucky started making sure any trucks going out for delivery returned carrying something, and the organization also tries to combine several stops on delivery runs to conserve fuel.
Despite price increases, food banks and pantries are still striving to provide individuals with healthy, fresh food. Reiber said that can be difficult, with the cost of some fruits and vegetables skyrocketing by 50%.
Similarly, Delaney said the Community Market tries to keep the "critical" items families often need – like dairy, vegetables and meat – on its shelves. How long that can continue for remains uncertain.
"The worry is sustainability. How long can we continue if prices continue to go up and donations continue to stay down?" Delaney said.
Thompson said Feeding Kentucky has also been trying to distribute its staples, including flour, rice and beans. But even those items have been subject to higher prices, Thompson said, and food banks are spending about 40% more on food.
Hamler-Fugitt said Ohioans are very charitable and gave a lot during the height of the pandemic. Food banks and pantries are encouraging individuals to keep donating and volunteering at facilities if they are able, especially as donations from retailers and manufacturers decline due to supply chain shortages.
What's needed more, Hamler-Fugitt said, is for the government to take action to support both workers and food banks. Ohio's foodbanks are asking for $50 million in emergency funding and $133 million for longer-term needs, which they say the state can fund with money from the rainy day fund or unspent federal dollars from sources including the American Rescue Plan Act.
"We need wages to increase for sure – that would help a lot for people that are working," she said. "We just need the support to ensure that we can continue to procure foods from Ohio farmers, growers and commodity producers through the Ohio (Agricultural) Clearance Program."
Owsley, along with others, said it's important to note the majority of individuals who utilize their services are working families who aren't making enough to make ends meet amid rising prices.
"I can't emphasize enough the critical role safety net providers play," Owsley said. "With these families, we're seeing these working families, these single-parent homes ... everyone's struggling to move forward right now. We're all feeling it."
How to help
Freestore Foodbank is encouraging individuals to participate in "virtual food drives," where they will receive a donation link to share with family and friends. Learn more here. Volunteer time slots can also be found online, at freestorefoodbank.org.
Donations can be made to Community Matters at cmcincy.org, and volunteer opportunities are also available.
The Brighton Center is accepting volunteers across its programs in addition to donations. More information is available at www.brightoncenter.com.
Santa Maria Community Services, in greater Price Hill, is accepting monetary donations at santamaria-cincy.org in addition to other gifts.
Feeding Kentucky is seeking volunteers, and monetary donations are preferred to food donations because the organization can buy more in bulk.
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