An increasing number of people are looking to food pantries for emergency food assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic. Fortunately, shelves are still stocked even though donations from the public have decreased, area food pantry directors report.
“We are seeing about between five and 10 new families every day, and people who haven’t been here in a long time are returning,” said Sharon Pomaville, director of the Sharing Center in Trevor. Melissa Papacek, president of the Twin Lakes Food Pantry, said the need reaches to the far west boundary of Kenosha County.
“We have seen a very sharp increase in new clients,” she said. Food commodities supplied by Racine Kenosha Community Action Agency are helping to meet the increased demand.
“Right now we are pretty well stocked,” Papacek said.
Coordinated effort
Zeke Leo, of RKCAA, said the agency has been getting more commodities to distribute to the pantries since last September as a result of the Trade Mitigation Program. “We are getting twice the amount we normally get,” Leo said. “We are trying to distribute it as fast as it comes in.” Pantries also saw donations from area restaurants and schools increase as a result of closures. However, pantries are seeing less donations coming in from the public, and large annual food drives, such as Scouting for Food, have been postponed. Read more at https://www.kenoshanews.com/news/local/food-pantries-seeing-increase-in-clients-during-covid-19-pandemic/article_dc7b7782-643b-58c6-ab7b-027b5656dc97.html
Comments