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Pantries feeling double whammy: Higher food prices, greater need

By Amanda McGregor
Staff writer
Published: July 3, 2008

As a gallon of milk approaches $4 and gasoline exceeds that price, another sign of the tighter times is the increased demand at North Shore food pantries.

The Salem Pantry, which opens the final Saturday of every month, saw a line out the door along Bridge Street this past weekend. The pantry usually closes at 11 a.m. but had to keep its doors open until 12:15 because so many people came for food.

"People who come have been saying that either other pantries are not able to give as much as they used to," said pantry director Elizabeth Black, "or it's just that the grocery prices have risen so much.

"I had one client say on Saturday that she was depressed because of the length of the line. She said, 'I can't believe this many people are in need.'"

Tom Gifford of Beverly Bootstraps on Cabot Street said the number of visits to their pantry is up 19 percent over last year for the period from January to May — from 1,979 visits in 2007 to 2,358 this year.

"During that same period, we had to increase our spending on food purchases by 144 percent," Gifford said. "A lot of people are having a tough time, and more and more people are coming to the food pantry."

Local pantry workers have observed the economic problems crossing class lines, like at the Acord Food Pantry in Hamilton.

"We've had more people who are working full time or who are middle class and having issues with the mortgage crisis," said Jen Downey Wolcott, of the Acord Food Pantry in Hamilton. "With food and gas prices, everything is pinched, so you have to try to find ways to still make it."

Acord serves residents in Hamilton, Wenham, Ipswich, Manchester, Topsfield and Essex — all relatively affluent communities.

"I've definitely had new customers who have said, point-blank, 'I'm so surprised to find myself in need of the pantry,'" Wolcott said. "They're glad we're here, but it's tough for them."

Food Bank pinched, too

Some pantries also rely, in varying degrees, on resources like the Great Boston Food Bank, which receives funding from the Massachusetts Emergency Food Assistance Program — but those assets are tightening, too.

"I've had some orders not able to be filled by the food bank," Black said. "I've had to go grocery shopping at Market Basket just to supplement and just load up my cart."

Gifford said money doesn't go as far at the food banks, because they're paying higher prices for food, too. As a result, "the food bank shelves start to get thinner and thinner," he said.

"So the other dynamic going on is we're having less food on the shelves for economic reasons, and more and more people coming to us for economic reasons. ... Historically, we're in uncharted territory here."

The rising demand for ethanol has fueled increased grain prices, which is impacting food pantry staples such as pasta, rice and cereal.

During the summer, the pantries also have additional demands because children who receive free and reduced meals at school are home for the summer. Wolcott said she is grateful for summertime donations of fresh fruit and vegetables from Appleton Farms, which is a luxury Acord can't afford to provide on its own.

At Haven From Hunger in Peabody, director Trudy MacIntyre said the pantry is seeing about 100 people a day, compared with 75 last summer.

"There are a whole batch of things, including unemployment, that contribute to it," MacIntyre said. "It's quite a strain right now."

Just last week, the People to People Food Pantry in Danvers saw a remarkable influx, according to director Barbara Remon.

"We're only open two mornings, and we had six new families and two emergencies at two of the motels in town," she said. "That's a big week for us to take in all of that. Fortunately we were able to handle it."

Remon said residents are also in need of diapers, personal hygiene items, household items like laundry detergent and more.

"People, when they come to us now, don't have money for gas and need their electric bills paid," Remon said. "It's very difficult for people now."

'Rude awakening'

Black said The Salem Pantry distributed 106 bags of food last weekend. To give perspective, back in January and February, the Pantry was serving between 60 and 80 households per month. Now it's more than 100.

"Just filling up your gas tank is a rude awakening every week now," Remon said.

The local food pantry directors all praised the North Shore communities and volunteers whose support and donations are invaluable to the operation of these small, nonprofit groups.

"It's just important for people in the community to recognize the need is still out there — and it's even greater than it was," Remon said. "I haven't seen this yet, but I know the people who are generous to us are going to be hurting, too, and that's somehow going to rear its ugly head at some point."

What do they need?

These are among the most-needed items at local food pantries:

r cereal

r peanut butter

r jelly

r tuna fish

r mayonnaise

r Parmalat shelf-stable milk

r rice

r pasta

r 100 percent juice

r juice boxes

r healthy snacks

r hearty soups

r canned meals like chili

Local food pantries

r Acord Food Pantry, serves residents in Hamilton, Wenham, Topsfield, Essex, Ipswich and Manchester

978-468-7424

r Beverly Bootstraps, serves residents in Beverly and Manchester

978-927-1561

r Haven From Hunger in Peabody, serves the general public

978-531-1530

r Ipswich Community Food Pantry, serves Ipswich residents and a few other towns

978-356-6650

r People to People Food Pantry in Danvers, serves Danvers residents

978-739-4188

r Salem Mission, serves general public

978-744-0500

r St. Joseph's Food Pantry in Salem, serves general public

978-744-2532

r The Salem Pantry, serves Salem residents

978-744-3224

Photos