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Food pantry in crisis
(by Erin Patricia Griffiths - August 19, 2008)
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Staff Photo By Erin Patricia Griffiths
The shelves lining the walls of the Helping Hand Food Pantry located at the Hillsdale United Methodist Church are nearly bare. The pantry, which serves clients within the Pascack Valley region, has been devastated by a lack of donations of perishable and non-perishable foods that provide families in need with necessities.
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The shelves lining the walls of the Helping Hand Food Pantry located at the Hillsdale United Methodist Church are nearly bare. The pantry, which serves clients within the Pascack Valley region, has been devastated by a lack of donations of perishable and non-perishable foods that provide families in need with necessities.
The number of clients served by the pantry has grown to record highs recently. In June 2007, the pantry provided 242 clients with food, and this past June, the numbers of clients served increased to 329. The pantry served more than 400 clients in July and is on pace to surpass 400 once again this month. Food is flying off the shelves more quickly than they can be refilled, and the donations are dwindling to an amount that causes great concern for the staff of volunteers from the community who dedicate their time at the pantry.
“The trustees contacted all the schools, the end of May, and all Hillsdale Schools had food drives for us in June. And they are very, very giving,” said Lois Kohan, one of nine board trustees. But the food collected in the drive in the Hillsdale schools, which was expected to last through the summer, was off the shelves within two weeks.
Basic staples of the pantry including cereal, tomato sauce, and canned vegetables have run out. “For the first time in 16 years we are out of any cans of corn and macaroni in cheese,” said Kohan. “We don’t have any. This is the first time ever.”
Tables are filled with crates that used to hold the overflow of non-perishable food that could not fit on the shelves, but they now sit empty.
Times are tough for residents of the Pascack Valley area. Many families are feeling the stress of financial troubles caused by the loss of jobs, struggling single parents, and aging residents who cannot afford increasing food prices. In addition, residents who have donated in the past are struggling to provide for themselves, and cannot afford to give to the pantry in the capacity they could before. The Helping Hand Food Pantry serves a wider area than just Hillsdale, reaching out to clients in Westwood, Woodcliff Lake, and other neighboring towns. The volunteers are concerned that the lack of donations will not allow for the pantry to serve the residents who are in need of emergency food assistance.
The board of trustees attributes more residents in need of assistance and limited donations as a cause for the shelves being so bare. “The summers are always leanest for the pantry and client numbers have gone up,” said Kohan.
There was a time in which the pantry was overflowing with donations and could provide other food pantries within Bergen County with the surplus of food received. But with the increasing number of families who have fallen on tough times and the lack of donations coming in, the once plentiful pantry is in a crisis.
The Hillsdale Chamber of Commerce has approved donating $500 worth of food as well as the shopping for the food to the pantry, in response to the trustees reaching out to Dan Cannon, manager of Commerce Bank and treasurer of the Hillsdale Chamber of Commerce.
Residents and businesses in the Pascack Valley area are encouraged to donate non-perishable and perishable food to the pantry, as well as donations of money and supermarket gift cards. There are bins located on the side and in the rear of the Hillsdale United Methodist Church for non-perishable donations, and the pantry is open to receive perishable donations such as milk, meats, and fresh fruits on Monday evenings from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. A bin is also located outside of Kings Super Market located in Hillsdale, where the box has been for 16 years. To donate money or supermarket gift cards, send to the Helping Hand Food Pantry located at 349 Hillsdale Ave., Hillsdale NJ 07642 or call 201-664-0600. Donations are tax deductible.
Families in need are also encouraged to visit the pantry if in need of emergency food assistance. The pantry is open to those in need on Monday evenings from 5:30 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. For more information, contact the Helping Hand Food Pantry at 201-664-0600.
Erin Patricia Griffiths' e-mail address is GriffithsE@northjersey.com.
| Comments (1) |
On August 23, 2008 said:
It amazes me that in such an affluent community there could be more than one or two families in need of assistance. However, your article makes me realize that we're all capable of being caught with fixed incomes and rising food costs. Noone should go hungry...not here, or for that matter, anywhere in this country. I am mailing a donation this week, and will keep doing what I can in the future. Thank you for bringing to everyone's conciousness. Job well done. |
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