Food banks looking for help for the holidays

‘ ‘ ‘ Feeding the hungry is one of Angela Whitt’s main priorities. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘My husband and I,… ‘ ‘ ‘ Feeding the hungry is one of Angela Whitt’s main priorities. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘My husband and I, we use to own small local a grocery store, so this is what we did. We fed people,’ said Whitt. ‘Now we’re retired, and we want to help people the way we know how.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ So Whitt and fellow parishioners from St. Philip’s Parish in Crafton visit the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank once a month to pack, sort and distribute food to the needy. ‘ ‘ ‘ St. Philip’s runs its own food bank out of its church, but volunteers say they like to come down to the community food bank’s headquarters once a month to help out. ‘ ‘ ‘ And with the tanking economy and upcoming holiday season, the food bank is in great need of help from organizations like St. Philip’s. ‘ ‘ ‘ With the holidays approaching and the economy crashing, the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank faces a serious shortage this year and must rely on people like Whitt and St. Philip’s Parish to give them the help they need. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘With the holidays and winter heating bills, this is always our busiest time of year,’ said Iris Valanti, the food bank’s public relations coordinator. ‘ ‘ ‘ The food bank faced a number of challenges this year leading up to the holiday season, when many families need the food bank’s help the most. ‘ ‘ ‘ An increase in demand and a decrease in supply plagues the food bank and brought its supplies critically low several times this year.’ In September its food stock was down 500,000 pounds from what it was in September 2007. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘Nationwide, it’s not as easy to get donated food as it use to be,’ said Valanti. ‘ ‘ ‘ One challenge that is facing food banks across the country is that food manufacturers produce less food now and sell what little remaining overstock they have to resale discount stores, like Big Lots. ‘ ‘ ‘ The price of food is another inhibiting factor this year.’ According to Valanti, even the price of wholesale food is up by 88 percent, which prevents the food bank from getting more bang for its buck. ‘ ‘ ‘ And with the food bank supplying food for 2,000 new households every month for the past six months, it can use all the bang it can get. ‘ ‘ ‘ The food bank just pulled $170,000 from emergency funds to restock its supplies, and Valanti said it has temporarily recovered. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘At the moment we’re on track for the year,’ she said. ‘But our year starts in July, and things didn’t really go down the pooper until October, so we’ll see.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ The Central Pennsylvania Food Bank also faces the problems of fewer or later corporatedonations and companies selling their overstock to discount grocery outlets, according to their director of communications, Melissa Etshied. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘Companies are more sophisticated with their process now,’ she said. ‘ ‘ ‘ Despite the decrease in corporate donors Etshied still considers the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank to be in a good position for the upcoming holiday season. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘We’ve definitely had to purchase more food to meet the demand, but we’re still in a position of strength.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ The Emergency Food Assistance Program, a federal program designed to help provide federal commodities to the states that then distribute food out to the needy, is also seeing problems with the growing demand. ‘ ‘ ‘ The program’s director, Geoffrey Dunaway, said the organization is facing a 30 to 35 percent increase in demand. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘Unfortunately when you have a downturn in an economy like we’re having, you see this increase in demand,’ said Dunaway. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘A new farm bill, passed earlier this year, will increase the amount of food that’s going out to the states will double the food that Pennsylvania receives,’ said Dunaway. ‘ ‘ ‘ Pennsylvania received $1.84 million in additional food, which began distribution this past November. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘When you have a down economic time, you want to do everything you can to support food and shelter programs. It’s the time when you need these programs the most,’ said Dunaway. ‘ ‘ ‘ The task of raising the money and supplies to keep the food bank running falls mainly on the community of Pittsburgh, according to Valanti. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘People are aware of how bad things are,’ she said.’ ‘They’re worried.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ Local groups from all over Pittsburgh are doing their part to help the food bank, but it’s not just churches and schools this year.’ Many companies and groups not commonly associated with charity raised money and goods to help the food bank this year. ‘ ‘ ‘ Local punk band Anti-Flag hosted a concert entitled ‘Yes We Can’ to raise money and supplies for the food bank last month at Mr. Smalls Funhouse in Millvale. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘We caught wind that the food bank was having troubles and said, ‘What can we do to help?’ so we talked to them and found out they were in need of money, awareness and goods,’ said Chris Bollinger, more commonly known as Chris #2, the bassist and lead vocalist of Anti-Flag. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘There are a lot of important causes out there in the world, and I think people in our own city being taking care of is an important one,’ said Bollinger. ‘ ‘ A Pittsburgh native, he encouraged fellow Pittsburghers to rise to the challenge. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘This town and city is notorious for taking pride in itself,’ he said. ‘ ‘ ‘ Another Pittsburgh entity supporting the food bank is Iron City Brewing Company.’ They work with the food bank every year and sponsor an annual blues festival to help raise money.’ This year, in light of the recent economic problems, they stepped up their efforts and aim to raise 50,000 pounds of food by the end of December.’ They placed all their beer on sale and will encourage consumers to drop off cans at their local Iron City distributors when they stop by to pick up their discounted booze. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘It’s Christmas time and everyone is struggling with the economy being the way it is, so we wanted to do a great good will project,’ said Shelby Cole, the promotions coordinator at Iron City Brewing Company. ‘It’s a great way to say thank you to Pittsburgh.’