On November 1st, stimulus funds for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, (SNAP)—food stamps—were cut, resulting in the loss of two billion meals for more than 40 million low-income households nationwide with children, seniors and people with disabilities.
Food pantries across the nation experienced a severe uptick in community needs. Coupled with a stagnant job market, winter weather, and rising costs of living, food pantries are often become the last resort for families unable to make it on their own. In Maryland, 720,000 citizens are ‘food insecure’—not knowing where their next meal is coming from. 70% of those served through food pantries have an income less than $10,000.
For people waiting in the hallway at Christ United Methodist Church, Kent County’s largest food pantry, the supplemental food helps bridge the gap to meet their basic nutritional needs.
Bob Schminkey, newly appointed Board Chairman of the Community Food Pantry, surveys the room while volunteers restock shelves and cart inventory from storage to a disbursement area. It’s well organized and the ‘clients’ sit patiently, some catching up with with old friends, others quietly pensive, all within an hour or so of receiving their groceries.
“My job is to make sure everyone gets what they need,” Schminkey says. He’s not generalizing. A walk back to one of the storage room easily convinces that dealing with pallets of canned goods, inventories and structuring the volunteer system, are no easy tasks. As the new Chairman, having taken over from long-time Chairman, Jim Fouss, Schminkey draws from a lifetime of non-profit business experience, but he’s quick to praise Miriam Greenlee, the Program Director, and the rest of the volunteer staff, for their expertise and commitment.
Left to right: Tom Jevins, Martha Williams, Bob Schminkey and Judy Thompson.
“I think the Community Food Pantry is a representative sample of the kind of problem solving our community is embracing these days,” he says. “The Kent Community has really stepped up to the plate with contributions and volunteer hours and our Board of Directors have excelled at maintaining and growing the program.”
Food comes from individual donations, local businesses and purchases from the Maryland Food Bank along with funding support from individuals, community organizations, clubs, businesses and faith-organizations, United Way of Kent County, the State of Maryland and the USDA.
Miriam Greenlee started as a Food Pantry volunteer, but for the last decade has been its Program Director. Greenlee oversees daily operations, meets with each client to determine their particular needs, and orients new individuals and families to the program.
“These people have become my second family. We laugh and cry together. These aren’t people taking advantage of our resources—they truly have hit a rough patch and been able to take ‘the big step,’ coming here to ask for food. Sadly, some people in need just can’t make that step.
Forty-four families were helped the Tuesday before Christmas.
Food insecurity is often associated with urban environments, but rural communities, even those in highly farm-productive areas also suffer from the same problem. According to the “Feeding America” project (www.feedingamerica.org), 15.5% of rural households are food insecure with the majority of them living in southern states (28.5%).
Greenlee says that the Community Food Pantry serves 200 families a month. “Most food pantry recipients are referred by Social Services, school counselors and faith based organizations. We really try to get the word out into our community about what we offer.”
Jennifer Small, Managing Director of the Maryland Food Bank in Salisbury says that phones have been ringing off the hook since the November SNAP reduction. “Holidays always show very visible needs as far as food insecurity but hunger is a year around issue and needs have doubled during the last few years.”
The Maryland Food Bank services eight counties on the Eastern Shore and feeds more than 25,000 families per month through 180 agencies like the Kent Community Food Pantry.
“People are sensitive to these needs during the holidays and donate food and funds, but by January, supplies plummet and we find ourselves looking for creative ways to meet the ongoing needs. As one of our Directors once said, ‘Hunger has no holidays.’”
The Maryland Food Bank also partners with 44 local farmers who contribute fresh produce to the Food Bank. “We received about 900,000 lbs of fresh produce this year and are now working on how to best organize seasonal produce with our needs,” Small says.
Small urges people to help by supporting their local food pantry and will provide contact information for anyone looking for local food pantry resources.
Locally, that would be the Community Food Pantry and they look forward to hearing form anyone who would like to help give the community a lift.
The Food Pantry is located at the Christ United Methodist Church at 401 High St. in Chestertown and is open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10AM to Noon.
For volunteer information at the Community Food Pantry call Miriam Greenlee at 410-778-0550. Volunteers must be able to safely lift at least 20 lbs . For more information go to www.kentfoodpantry.org.
Maryland Food Bank, Salisbury Office: 410-742-0050, www.marylandfoodbank.org
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