Facing More Need, Food Pantry Steps Up

The Lorain County unemployment rate dropped from 9.7 percent in August 2010 to 7.9 percent in August 2011, according to the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services.

But as more people head back to work, , executive director of , said more people are coming to her, as well.

“We’ve seen an 8 percent increase in total services provided from last August to this August,” Poole said.

Between January and August of this year, CRS gave away 21 tons of food, still the organization’s keystone service. But Poole said she’s starting to see demand for other services increase.

“Where people used to come in just for food assistance, now they’re coming in for food and utility bill assistance, or prescription assistance, or auto repair assistance,” she said.

Poole said more and more people coming in are underemployed. People who used to be working full time have been reduced to part time, or are now making significantly less than when they applied for their mortgage.

 “And if you add that with the rising costs of fuel and food, then their budgets continue to get stretched thinner and thinner,” she said. “Suddenly, they find themselves unable to keep up.”

From January to August this year, Poole said CRS provided more than $7,000 in utility bill assistance and $3,500 in rent assistance.

“Many people have more complex needs than they did last year,” she said.

CRS has been able to meet those needs, Poole said, by asking for dollar donations, rather than food drives, and purchasing food through the Second Harvest Food Bank.

“We’re able to stretch a dollar further there than at a normal grocery store,” she said. “But we still love food drives.”

With Thanksgiving less than a week away, Poole and CRS volunteers are preparing more than 80 gift baskets, including mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, green beans, corn flakes and a turkey.

“This is the time of year we’re thinking of others a little more,” Poole said. “If there’s something special you can do to help a family, why not do it?”