WORTHINGTON — If you’ve spent any time in the grocery store and experienced a dramatic spike in your food bill, you may understand why food pantries around the region — and across the country — are seeing a tremendous increase in the number of individuals seeking assistance .
“We are seeing a drastic increase, and it continues,” shared Manna Food Pantry Coordinator Linda Sanchez. “It will continue as food prices are up where they are and continue to go up.”
While Manna Food Pantry has thus been far able to keep up with the need thanks to donations and grants, Sanchez worries that the longer high prices remain, the more people she may see in need of food.
Eggs, long considered one of the cheapest protein options, cost more than $5 per dozen at local grocery stores. They are just one of many items, though, that have experienced significant price spikes. That makes it difficult for low-income individuals and families, whose dollars are already stretched thin.
“We are seeing everything,” Sanchez said of patrons. They include single people, single parents, and families both with jobs and without jobs.
“We always try to mention to them that there are jobs available,” Sanchez said.
She’s seen quite a few homeless individuals visit the pantry also — throughout the summer and now into winter. In fact, she assisted a homeless woman last week with food — things like bread and peanut butter that don’t require a stovetop or microwave.
“With the last cold snap, she floated between people she used to work with,” Sanchez relayed. “Otherwise, she’s staying in her car.
“It’s sad that that’s happening here,” she added, noting the woman lost her job due to closure. Sanchez directed her to United Community Action Partnership, which assists homeless people locally to find housing.
While Sanchez said she sees people from all walks of life, the sector she doesn’t see enough of is seniors. Older adults living on fixed incomes tend not to come and ask for help, even if they are struggling to make ends meet.
“I know there are seniors out there that could really utilize our services, and for whatever reason … are too humble,” she said. “We know Social Security checks for a lot of our senior population don’t stretch with the high grocery bills.”
Since July 1, Sanchez said Manna Food Pantry has registered 185 new families for food assistance. In the month of December, 332 families visited the pantry for food.
Across town, at the Worthington Christian Church food pantry, volunteers are also seeing an increase in the number of individuals and families seeking food.
“We’ve increased probably 25 families a month (since summer),” said coordinator LeAnn Thiner. “We have huge families (stopping in). Sunday nights we have about 20 families come in — between eight and 10 in a family. The dollar doesn’t stretch and they just need a little extra food.
“They’re so thankful,” she added. “Eggs are always in short supply, and most anything in a can they’ll take.”
Both local food pantries benefit from donations, and any monetary donations are used to purchase food through Second Harvest Heartland. Because of the heavily discounted foods offered through Second Harvest, the pantries can purchase much more for the dollar than what people can if they buy foods and donate to the pantry.
Second Harvest comes to Worthington twice per month, delivering food to both Manna and Worthington Christian Church.
Both Sanchez and Thiner say the community has been very supportive with donations, which is a great help. December was especially good — a time when people are in the spirit of giving, or choose to make end-of-the-year donations.
“It doesn’t matter — small or large, every little bit helps,” Sanchez said of donations.
Food items she said are highly sought after include canned fruits; dried pinto, black and kidney beans; pasta (please avoid pre-made dinners such as Hamburger Helper); unsweetened cereal, peanut butter, rice, soups; diced tomatoes and pasta sauces.
Worthington Christian Church Food Shelf, meanwhile, could use more pork, beef and fresh vegetables such as potatoes and onions.
“We try to stay away from anything that is real salty,” Sanchez said. “We try to keep our pantry more on the healthy side.”
Manna Food Pantry receives food rescue products from Kwik Trip, KFC, Walmart, Fareway and HyVee, and appreciates the area produce growers who bring in fresh produce throughout the summer and autumn.
Sanchez said families have access to the full pantry once per month, but can come back weekly for fresh produce and bakery items.
Anyone who would like to make a donation to either food pantry can deliver monetary donations or food to Worthington Christian Church, 1501 Douglas Ave., Worthington; or Manna Food Pantry, 230 Clary St., Worthington.
“Thank you to the local community and businesses in the surrounding area for your fantastic support,” Sanchez said. “If it wasn’t for the support of the local community, we couldn’t keep going like we are.”