By Drew Mitchell/Farm to Fork
Barbara Banton, a long-time resident of Bowling Green, Ky., lost her job when she had a stroke at work. Recovering from the traumatic event was especially hard for Banton because she is a diabetic.
Banton needed healthy food to recover, but she could barely afford to eat at all.
For a few weeks she went hungry, eating only when it was essential. Frustrated and ready to give up, she finally learned about food pantries in the area and found help at Hotel, Inc., a Christian care network in Bowling Green.
“Asking for help was one of the hardest things I have ever done, but they taught me that it is OK to need,” said Banton, who recovered from her stroke and now volunteers at the food pantry. “I would probably be dead if I didn’t watch I eat and make sure that I eat nutritiously.”
With more than 15 percent of the American population living below the federal poverty level, trips to the grocery store to load up on fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats, and other healthy items can take a back seat to paying for rent, utilities, medical bills and other basic expenses.
C. Fryer/Farm to Fork - Barbara Banton sorts through donated items at Hotel, Inc.
The recent recession has worsened America’s hunger problems. In 2008, more than 17 million households were considered “food insecure” – having uncertain access to nutritionally adequate food – a 36 percent increase over the previous year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture data. That same year, more than 4.8 million households visited a food pantry at least once for help with hunger problems, according to Feeding America, the nation’s leading domestic hunger-relief charity, based in Washington, D.C.
Nearly 98 percent of the population who are classified as “food insecure” said that they constantly worried that their food supply would run out before getting money to purchase more food. About 94 percent reported that their food choices did not reflect health and the need for balanced meals.
Feeding hungry people not just any food, but healthy food, is a priority. Among the food pantries surveyed in the 2010 “Feeding America” national report, 43.0 percent said that their most needed service was nutrition education to ensure that clients know about the importance of healthy food.
The Congressional Hunger Center, led by executive director Ed Cooney, is an organization that advocates public policies to provide access to nutritious, affordable and culturally appropriate food.
“Our preference is for people to have access to real food via grocery stores,” he said. “We want to get people food, especially the most healthy food.”
Cooney said that he is constantly working with legislators to ensure that new legislation is written that will care for America’s poor, trying to get them as many benefits as possible and extensions to the food stamps program.
Cooney worked on with legislators on the Stimulus Law of 2009, which gave food banks a $100 million windfall of food that was added to their rations. The money was divided between poultry, canned fruit, cheese, peanut products, and pork and given to nationally funded food banks across America.
This expenditure helped many Americans get the food they needed, but in a city like Bowling Green, Ky., where none of the food pantries receive any federal funding, residents are forced to find food at donation-driven food banks.
C.Fryer/Farm to Fork: Cans wait to be sorted into the appropriate distribution bags at Hotel, Inc
Hotel, Inc. houses The Manna Mart, a food pantry that serves dozens of people each week.
On a recent day, Banton sorted through donated baked goods from Panera Bread that will be given to all clients.
“Hotel, Inc. makes everyone feel comfortable, no matter how bad your situation is,” she said.
Manna Mart relies on its core of volunteers to ensure that food packages are prepared and ready to be distributed in pre-prepared bags, following a model that has been approved for its health factor.
Volunteer Stephanie Robbins said new clients go through a consultation with the receptionist to determine their need. After presenting a past pay stub, to show that they worked at some point, a valid Social Security card, and a current I.D., they are approved for food for three days. All of the food available for clients is canned or boxed.
“We try to give them, in our limited scope, a nutritious meal with protein, meat, vegetables, fruit and a dessert,” Robbins said. “If somebody is in need of food, they can come and get three days worth of food at a time.”
Due to a lack of recourses, Hotel. Inc., discourages continuous repeat visits.
“We recommend other food banks around the city and government programs,” Robbins said.
Erika Lindsey, an 18-year-old high school senior from Bowling Green, Ky. separated from her mother in the last month and is now trying to survive on her
C. Fryer/Farm to Fork: The stock room at Hotel. Inc.
own.
“I’m living with my friend and this is my only option for food right now,” she said as she picked up her food bag, which contained canned vegetables, canned meat, juice, and a boxed meal.
Lindsey said that she knows about the importance of fresh fruits and vegetables, but all she had to survive on was coming from the Manna Mart
“You’ve gotta do what you gotta do, and if you don’t have nutritious food, you don’t have it,” she said.
Over the next few months, Lindsey said that her budget will be tightening even more. Her friend and roommate must undergo surgery and the impending bills will undermine the money set aside for food.
“I’ll definitely be back here for more help with my food needs,” she said.
All items at Manna Mart are donated. “We rely solely on generous donators,” Robbins said.
C. Fryer/Farm to Fork: Volunteer John Baize separates donated items at Hotel, Inc.
Volunteer John Baize sorted through hundreds of new cans that had to be labeled and divided among the food bags. “We just got a massive donation from Western Kentucky University that will hopefully tide us over for a while,” he said.
The South Central Kentucky chapter of the American Red Cross in Bowling Green, Ky. is one of the only Red Cross chapters that sponsors a food bank. However, Jennifer Capps, the executive director, said that there is no direct funding for the pantry and that they often run out of food and have to turn people away.
Capps said that the application process from the Red Cross food pantry is very similar to the process at the Manna Mart.
“We generally give out more easy items,” Capps said. “canned goods, meats, baking mix, soups.”
Capps said that new clients occasionally arrive at the pantry, but normally the same individuals appear at the door.
“We try to serve everybody, but resources are so tight that we are only available to help a family once every two months and are only open two days a week for two hours at a time,” Capps said. The pantry is open on Mondays and Wednesdays from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Similarly to The Manna Mart, all items at the Red Cross food pantry are donated.
Different from a traditional food pantry, Angel Food Ministries, a national organization based in Good Hope, Ga., offers a way for families with a small amount of money to get a large amount of food.
“We help people eat for less, ” said Juda Engelmayer, chief spokesperson for Angel Food Ministries.
Angel Food Ministries charges people only $35 to get $65 worth of healthy food. Customers can fill out a form or order online and then pick up the food a local host site.
The food comes from national vendors such as Perdue and Tyson at bulk rates.
“We buy $14 million worth of food at a time,” Engelmayer said, “and by picking up the food ourselves, packing it ourselves, and distributing it ourselves, we are able to cut out almost all of the middle-man fees.”
“All of our food is fresh,” he said. “We want our clients to have the best food available to them.”
Angel Food Ministries does not have an income requirement, meaning that it is a useful tool for those with low incomes and those who are simply searching for a bargain.
“We don’t make people submit income documentation because we do not want to make them inferior to others,” Engelmayer said.
The logo for the national organization, Angel Food Ministries
Patrons choose items from a monthly menu and wait for the food to arrive for pickup in their town. In Bowling Green, there are multiple locations where people can pick up their shipment. Bonnie Sherwood is the site director for the Bowling Green area. She oversees deliveries and works with the clients.
Sherwood emphasized that this program was a way to eat healthily for much less than traditional grocery shopping methods.
“About ¾ of the food is flash frozen – fresh fruits, vegetables, and meats. The other fourth is made up of fresh eggs, milk, and juice,” she said.
The program offers special boxes for seniors that are low on sodium and sugar, allergen free boxes, boxes geared towards grilling, and boxes designed to appeal to children.
Sherwood said that although the majority of clients do not have adequate financial means, they deserve to have a wide variety of healthy food available to them.
“It’s hard to eat when you are in so much need,” Sherwood said. “Most of our clients are without a job and in need of as much help as they can get.”