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more photosSalvation Army volunteers Teri Berner, left, and Vicky Adams, both of Bend, load food items into Thanksgiving bags for families in need during the holiday.
Andy Tullis / The Bulletin
Local groups are struggling to feed the hungry as holidays near
By Andres Navarro / The Bulletin
Published: November 18. 2009 4:00AM PSTWhether people are picking up a food box from the Salvation Army or heading over to Bend's Community Center's food kitchen, more and more people are needing food this holiday season.
But local food agencies are having a hard time keeping up with the growing number of people needing food.
“It's kind of like a snowball effect,” said Robert Keene, commanding officer of the Salvation Army in Bend. “The economy puts more people in bad situations, they come to us looking for help, but then we are getting less donations. It's really putting a strain on our budget.”
The Salvation Army accepts food donations and prepares food boxes for people who need help putting meals on their tables. The amount of food recipients receive depends on the size of the family, but boxes are designed to provide a family with three days of food.
“The main reason why we are feeling a strain is that the need for assistance has nearly doubled for us,” Keene said. The Salvation Army has provided assistance to 500 families so far this year, compared with 300 last year.
The situation has reached a point at which the organization might have to adjust its food distribution methods in order to meet people's needs.
The Salvation Army doesn't plan any changes until after Jan. 1, but it may reconsider how often food boxes are distributed and possibly the amount of food packed, Keene said.
“We want to help people as much as we can,” he said. “But we also don't want to go out of business doing it. We're in a tough situation here.”
Compared with last year, financial donations are down 15 percent at the Salvation Army, but it's hoping to make up those losses during the holiday season, Keene said, adding that people typically give more from Thanksgiving through December.
At NeighborImpact
The NeighborImpact food bank also prepares food boxes and bags for families in need. About half of its food comes from the Oregon Food Bank, about 35 percent from store purchases and the rest from community donations. The nonprofit works directly with community agencies and distributes food according to the needs of each agency.
Steve Murray, NeighborImpact food bank coordinator, agrees that the need for assistance has risen in recent years.
This year, about 14,000 individuals have received food assistance from NeighborImpact through several community organizations. Last year, the number was about 13,000, and the year before that was even less, Murray said.
“The need continues to rise as the economy stays stagnant,” he said. “People are not finding jobs, so they are turning to others for help.”
One thing to avoid when there is a growing need for assistance is donor fatigue, Murray said.
Donor fatigue usually sets in when people stop donating because they either do not understand or trust how their donation will be used, they feel they are bombarded by organizations to donate, or they have donated before but can't afford it anymore, the latter of which is the greatest concern in this economy, Murray said.
“We don't want to see people getting fatigued,” he said. “I realize everyone can only give so much during these hard times, but we want everyone to understand that if everyone gives a little, no one has to give a lot.”
At local food kitchens
Local food kitchens also are feeling the pinch this holiday season.
Bend's Community Center's program, Feed The Hungry, provides about 800 to 1,000 meals a day to homeless people and others in need of food in Bend, said Executive Director Taffy Gleason. Last year, Feed The Hungry provided about 600 to 800 meals each day.
Because of the economy, people have lost their jobs this year and are unable to provide for their families, Gleason said.
This is one of the main reasons why there has been a rise in people seeking help. Many of the people looking for help putting food on the table are doing so for the first time, she said.
“At this time of year, all soup kitchens are low on food,” she said. “By the end of the holidays, those soup kitchens will be out of food because people will be hitting them hard.”
Bend's Community Center relies on volunteers and donations to keep their services active.
This year, it may be more difficult to provide for the growing number of people in need because the donations it has received are down 15 percent, Gleason said.
“We've tightened our belts certainly, but we are still committed to providing for those in need,” Gleason said. “We're not hiring right now, and we are focusing on spending only on things that won't negatively affect our services, like Feed The Hungry.”
Bend's Community Center also will have special Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners for those who can't afford one.
Andres Navarro can be reached at 541-617-7818 or at anavarro@bendbulletin.com.
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