Changing face of hunger

Working poor, families seeking more help

By JOE GORMAN Tribune Chronicle
The worsening economy this year has not only led to an increase in food given out, but has also given rise to people who typically are not seeking assistance, according to local and national leaders of the Second Harvest Food Bank.

The trend of late is for more families and people who are working but cannot afford to pay for food to seek assistance.

‘‘It’s shifting more to the working poor,’’ said the Rev. Chris Gilger of the Warren Family Mission on Elm Road. ‘‘A lot of people are being shuffled our way who have never been here before.’’

Among them, Gilger said, is an increase in families and those with jobs seeking help.

And it’s not going to get better any time soon with the rising cost of food, said to Vicki Escarra, the President and CEO of Second Harvest.

‘‘It’s really reached a crisis nationally and locally,’’ Escarra said.

As a result, Rebecca Martinez of the local Second Harvest said food donations, typically down during the summer months, are crucial because there are more people seeking food, the demand for food is greater.

Donations of any type of non-perishable food are welcome, Martinez said.

Last week Joe Kennedy of Warren said he lost his job at Liberty Welding a few months ago and since then has been stopping by the mission a couple of times a week to get something to eat. Kennedy said he gets some unemployment, but it is not enough to make his food budget stretch. He said if he had to, he could skip going to the mission and buy food, but that would mean he would have to eliminate some other necessity.

Margaret Honeychurch of Warren also gets some food from the mission. Even though she worked for Trumbull County for 17 years, she gets only Social Security and needs the food she receives from the mission so that she can afford to pay for other necessities.

Craig Comanescu of Warren cannot work because of an arm he hurt in a bicycle accident. He said he does not know what he would do if he did not receive food from the mission.

‘‘I don’t really have an answer for that,’’ Comanescu said.

Statistics compiled by the Emanuel Community Care Center in Girard show the number of clients from January to April increased by 46 percent over the same time last year, according to Sr. Jean Orsuto.

She attributes the increase to people who have lost jobs or single adults who do not qualify for food stamps. There is also an increase in the number of families as well, she said.

‘‘I’m hoping the economy doesn’t get so bad that people stop donating,’’ said Orsuto, who also gets food locally from Second Harvest.

Gilger, who also receives food from Second Harvest, said another strange phenomena is that the beds in the mission are filled, something that usually occurs only in winter when the weather is cold.

Michael Iberis, who heads up the local Second Harvest food bank, said from a local perspective more people are losing jobs, which is putting a strain on the 160 charities the food bank services in Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties. He said the food bank has seen a 20 percent increase this year. More families, working poor and senior citizens are being served by agencies affiliated with Second Harvest, Iberis said.

‘‘The face of hunger is really changing,’’ Iberis said.

Second Harvest’s Escarra said there are more lower middle class families who do not make enough money to buy food for an entire month and who must supplement their food by visiting a food bank.

‘‘There is a lack of awareness around the issue and the people,’’ Escarra said.

Debbie King, who with her husband helps to run the food bank operated by Cortland Area Cares, said that is also a problem in her area. The food bank services families in the Lakeview School District.

‘‘I don’t think people believe we have 160 families below the poverty line in the Lakeview School District,’’ King said.

King said she has seen an increase this year as well, mostly in families where the parents have a job but it does not pay well. Some families have members working two or three jobs, but it is still not enough to stretch the food budget, she said.

‘‘Mostly, at our particular food bank, almost all of the people have some sort of a job and they are just not quite making it on $7 an hour,’’ King said.

Gilger said he is seeing families where the parent can get work only a couple days a week. He said the mission can use some help through food drives, while King said the local Rotary Club’s fundraiser last year has helped her stay on her feet, as well as contributions from member churches.

Through it all, though, Orsuto said she is not worried because she has help from a higher power.

‘‘I just feel if we keep doing what we’re supposed to be doing, it’s God’s work,’’ Orsuto said.

jgorman@tribtoday.com'>jgorman@tribtoday.com