Second Harvest sees food needs soar in Erie region. What's behind it?
Susan Martinez, of Millcreek Township, said higher food prices, her husband's recent surgery and the loss of his income combined last Wednesday to find her waiting in line outside of Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest Pennsylvania.
Cars began to line up shortly after 1 p.m. for the Produce Express distribution that would begin at 2:30 p.m. at 1507 Grimm Drive.
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Martinez, who got a ride from a friend, expressed some hesitance about seeking help through the program, which gives each household between 40 and 60 pounds of food as part of its Produce Express distribution.
"I don't like to take it unless I really do need it," Martinez said. "And right now, I really do need it."
Last week's delivery included milk, bread, eggs, squash, 10 pounds of fresh fruit and vegetables, 10 pounds of macaroni salad and a 25-pound box of canned food and dry goods.
Martinez felt confident her family would be able to eat most of it.
"I have a 12-year-old son and he would eat an onion off the counter," she said.
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In a long line on a hot day Wednesday, there was no shortage of people who needed food.
Near the front of the line were CJ Bell, 79, an Army veteran from Lake City, and his wife, Fran. They've been watching reports in the news about rising prices and seeing the reality when they go to the store.
Fran Bell notices some prices staying the same, but the packages are getting smaller.
Waiting in another car was Rustamali Ansari, a 27-year-old refugee from Afghanistan.
Ansari, who has been in Erie for six months, feels fortunate to be here. He feels safe, has met nice people, and is working at Port Erie Plastics.
But he has rent and utilities to pay and is responsible for feeding four people. His mother, who accompanied him to last week's food distribution and was eligible for a second delivery of food for herself, is responsible for three people.
Growing need
Ansari, who was there for his first time, and Martinez, who had been there just one other time, are part of a wave of need that seems to be growing, said Natalie Massing, spokeswoman for Second Harvest.
Evidence of rising prices and increased need can be found in the number of people being served by Second Harvest, which provides food to 390 food pantries and distribution points in 11 counties.
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In January, Second Harvest was providing food to 12,913 households, Massing said. By the end of June, that number had grown to 16,090, an increase of nearly 25%.
"There's clearly a growing need here," Massing said. "They have to make these impossible choices and sometimes they have to put food on the back burner."
In another measure of that need, the produce distribution, which typically serves between 85 and 105 households on the first Wednesday of the month, has recently provided food for as many as 131 households. Last Wednesday, a team of volunteers filled trunks of cars to provide food for 123 households that included more than 300 people.
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A recent Produce Express distribution in Meadville served 160 households and has Second Harvest looking for a larger distribution site and a bigger truck, said Gerry Weiss, director of network relations for Second Harvest.
And there is more evidence that the growing need is a snowball rolling downhill.
Second Harvest tracks the number of new households that seek help for the first time. In January, 671 people came to Second Harvest agencies for the first time. By June, that number had nearly doubled to 1,336.
"That tells you everything you need to know about the incredible need," Weiss said.
New income guidelines
The number of people eligible for assistance from agencies like Second Farm Harvest Food Bank has grown substantially since the beginning of the fiscal year on July 1.
New income guidelines for The Emergency Food Assistance Program, known as TEFAP, had previously cut off eligibility for a single person making anything more than $19,320 a year. As of July 1, that cutoff was raised to $25,142. The income limit for a three-person household has been increased from $32,940 to $42,606.
Those new income guidelines will enable more people to do something else with their money.
"Someone can now use that money and put it toward bills," Weiss said. "If they come here twice a month for Produce Express, you can take $200 or $250 that would buy groceries and it can go toward rent or utility bills or gasoline."
Ansari said he's making ends meet, but the boxes of food deposited in his trunk last week represent a bit of breathing room.
Without it, he said, "There is nothing to save for the future."
Jim Martin can be reached at jmartin@timesnews.com.
How to get help
To find out if you qualify: Call 814-459-3663, x117.
Upcoming Produce Express distributions
Thursday at 3 p.m., Eastminster Church, 2320 East Lake Road
Friday at 10:30 a.m., First United Methodist Church, 42 E. High St., Union City
Aug. 17 at 2:30 p.m., Second Harvest Food Bank, 1507 Grimm Drive
Aug. 18 at 3 p.m., Eastbrook Apartments, East 19th and Whitling Avenue
Aug 19. at 3 p.m., John Horan Apartments, 730 Tacoma Road
Aug. 22 at 4 p.m., Gravel Pit Park, 10300 West Main Road, North East
Aug. 23 at 11 a.m., First United Methodist Church, 650 Worth St., Corry
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Second Harvest sees growing need for food as inflation continues
