'People are hurting': As food prices rise, Taunton food banks tackle growing hunger needs

TAUNTON — North Taunton Food Pantry supervisor Carol O'Connell said the rising cost of living is prompting more residents to request free food from the agency at 1940 Bay St.

"We used to serve only 175 people," she said. "Now, we help about 273 people every week. People are hurting."

The U.S. Bureau of Labor reported that food prices rose 1.3 % in July, which was the largest increase since April 2020.

The North Taunton Food pantry is adjacent to North Baptist Church and is open on the second and fourth Saturday of each month from 6:30 to 11 a.m.

How to get help

O'Connell said would-be food recipients receive assistance if they sign a registration form upon arriving and offer proof of Taunton residency.

"The requirements are to come with an ID that shows an address," she said.

Acceptable identification forms include a phone bill or Taunton Municipal Lighting Plant billing statement.

O'Connell said many people are arriving in the pantry parking lot at 5:30 a.m. to receive assistance.

"The parking lot is packed," she said. "Every week, about five to 10 people sign up for food. We have almost 2,400 people on our list."

O'Connell said the increasing requests for food assistance from residents in the surrounding communities are challenging the pantry's ability to have enough groceries for distribution.

"We get 11,000 pounds of food every week from the Greater Boston Food Bank," she said. "We give it all away. But, unfortunately, we recently had to turn some people away because we did not have enough food in our stock area."

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Pantry 'tries to serve everything'

O'Connell said the pantry distributes milk, eggs, and cheese regularly to people needing food "and tries to serve everything."

"Sometimes we give out cereal, apple juice, and butter," she said." We give out hamburgers, peanut butter, corn, and carrots. We give out fresh potatoes, bananas, apples, peaches, and sometimes corn on the cob."

O'Connell said eight volunteers place the groceries in bags for recipients.

"People can come in and get it all for free," she said. "We serve anybody and everybody for the Lord."

Additional Taunton-based pantries that offer food to people in need include; St. Vincent de Paul Taunton Food Pantry, 141 Washington St,   Matthew Mission Food Pantry at First Parish Church, 376 Green, and St. Mary's Food Pantry, 78 Broadway.

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Taunton Area Community Table servings

Taunton Area Community Table director Wendy Berry said inflation across the region encourages more people to seek free meals from the non-profit agency at 378 Bay St.

"A year ago, a busy day was serving 50-55 meals," she said. "We now go as high as serving 100 meals a day."

Berry said the agency serves meals from 11:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

"We never run out of food," she said. "We always have hotdogs, canned food, and spaghetti. We never turn people away. There are no questions for forms that people have to complete. Anybody can come in and have lunch."

Berry said her granddaughter Beatrice Burbank, 7, believes "just because people are hungry does not mean they are scary or bad."

"She comes with me quite often and loves it," Berry said.

Berry said the ages of the people served to vary from "kids to elderly."

"Nobody in this country should have to be hungry," she said. "I love to make people a meal and show them compassion."

Berry said all the meals "are homemade.

"Every day, we serve an entrée," she said. "They get a green salad and a desert."

A 61-year-old Taunton resident said she has been getting meals regularly at Taunton Community Area Table during the past year because "of inflation and her apartment rent price."

"I like meeting some of the people who come here to eat," said Louise, who declined to have her last name published. "Sometimes they serve full meals, along with sandwiches and soup. They also have pizza sometimes."

A 40-year-old Taunton resident said he is unemployed and requests meals regularly at Taunton Community Area Table.

"Food stamps don't cover much," said Ricky, who did not want his last name published.

Berry said Taunton Area Community Table can serve people because of "donations from individuals, businesses, civic organizations and churches."

"We are members of the Greater Boston Food Bank, and depending on what they have, it is what we will give away," she said.

Fair Foods won't 'turn anybody away'

Fair Foods site manager Yvonne Davis said the agency offers bags of fresh fruits and vegetables for a $2 fee to people in need on Friday from 3 to 5 p.m. outside Old Colony YMCA at 71 Cohannet St., Taunton.

"We usually have those five items in each bag," she said.

The facility generally "offers non-canned or processed" spinach, tomatoes, broccoli, summer squash, and plantains.

Davis said the rising cost of overall prices during the past five months had encouraged more people to purchase fruits and vegetables at Fair Foods sites across the state.

"We try to feed a family of four for a week," she said.

Davis said Fair Foods volunteers wouldn't "turn anybody away" that seeks food assistance.

"We don't ask for any proof of income," she said. "You don't have to be a resident."

Fair Foods' website states people who can't afford to pay a fee can receive food.

Fair Foods truck driver Jeff Miller said food given to recipients is provided by major supermarket chains that utilize a warehouse in Chelsea.

"When they have extra food, they can throw it out or donate to us," he said. "We go every day to the warehouse to sort it out for transport to different sites."

'We're all suffering'

Bridgewater resident Sandra Smith said the rising cost of living prices prompted her to buy a bag of fruit from Fair Foods on Aug. 12.

"We're all suffering from that," she added. "Fair Foods' people are wonderful. God bless them."

Fair Foods packaging volunteer Samantha Moore, 27, said she offered to help the agency weeks after it provided food to herself and her husband.

"I had a hard time last year when my husband was unemployed," she said. "I came here approximately 30 or 40 times before I decided to volunteer."

Moore said her husband eventually found a job and appreciates how Fair Foods assisted them.

"I've been here six or seven weeks," she said.

Volunteer Kate McDermott said she enjoys assisting Fair Foods because they have "a nice group of people.

"I love to help the community and people in need," she said.

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This article originally appeared on The Taunton Daily Gazette: Taunton food banks face rising hunger needs caused by inflation