Kern agencies see increase in homes without enough food
| Tuesday, Nov 17 2009 06:01 PM
Last Updated Tuesday, Nov 17 2009 06:01 PM
It isn't news to Kern County agencies that feed the hungry that the number of families unable to put adequate food on the table is soaring.
"We're definitely seeing an increase," said Delfina Jones, general manager of the St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store and Center, which provides food baskets and clothing to the needy.
"We're seeing a lot of people who have lost their homes or lost their jobs," Jones said.
The number of "food insecure" households in the United States is at the highest level since the U.S. Department of Agriculture began monitoring the issue in 1995, the USDA announced this month.
It blamed the increase on the recession, and said hunger this time around is worse than the 2001 recession, when food insecurity increased not only during the downturn but into the first three years of renewed economic growth.
The government defines food insecurity as "inadequate or unsure access to enough food for active, healthy living."
Clients of the Community Action Partnership of Kern Food Bank have more than doubled since last year, said food bank manager Gary Romriell.
"There are a lot more new families needing assistance, families who've never come to us before," he said.
They include farm workers who have been affected by the region's third year of drought, and white collar professionals who have worked all their lives but now find themselves unemployed, Romriell said.
"There are a lot of stories out there," he said.
At the same time that the need for food assistance has spiked, gifts of food and money to help sustain local programs are down.
In a national Chronicle of Philanthropy survey earlier this year, 48 percent of respondents said the recession has forced them to decrease charitable giving in 2009, but most of those making cuts said they were making smaller donations rather than stopping gifts altogether.
"I think everyone's affected by the recession somewhat, including churches," said Glenda Hoffman, a volunteer with Higher Ground Church, which operates a food pantry for low-income families and a separate ministry that allows people to purchase groceries at a discount.
"We're not that big of a church, but we do have some very generous families. We're blessed to have some good tithers," Hoffman said.
To encourage more donations, the church has initiated a friendly contest between its men's and women's auxiliary groups. The loser will have to serve the winner at an upcoming breakfast meeting.
The Food Bank says it's getting by in part on commodities purchased with federal stimulus money.
"That's helped somewhat, but I'm guessing it's six weeks to two months before we're out of food," Romriell said.
Jones said donations to St. Vincent de Paul's food program are down from last year, but a food drive is under way that she hopes will turn things around.
"It's not over yet," she said. "I'm hopeful."
