Former Food Donors Now in Need

A pilgrimage to a food pantry is simply reality for more and more Americans. And as America’s feast day passes, some area residents may have had to forgo a serving of stuffing–not because of calories, but because of their cupboard.

The Food Bank of Lower Fairfield County had only about 300 turkeys in its freezer eary last week, a stark contrast to the estimated 2,000 it collected this time last year. And considering the food bank wanted 10,000 turkeys in all this year, that number is a trifle.

“Most of our donors don’t have a job anymore. They are probably standing in food lines themselves,” said Amy Tarantino of the Stamford-based Fairfield County Food Bank.

Usually local companies and supporting donors help, but with so many in financial straits, that number has dropped. In lower Fairfield County, the need for emergency food has doubled in the past two years.

“There are more people relying on food banks than ever,” Tarantino said.

The Food Bank distributes about a million pounds of food per year—hidden between the rush of recipes for turkeys and sweet potatoes are hungry children. Indeed, one out of every five children in Connecticut is hungry or at risk of hunger.

The four-day Thanksgiving recess poses a problem for many of these children because they don’t get the Federal Free Breakfast and Lunch when school lets out.

Executive director Kate Lombardo said even middle-class families need help this year, something not seen before. That contributes to the increased need for donations.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 49 million Americans have reported a lack of food. Last year, people in 4.8 million households used private food pantries, compared with 3.9 million in 2007. People in about 625,000 households relied on food pantries in 2007, up from nearly 90,000 the year before.

Hardest hit are families headed by single mothers,where  37 percent reported food insecurity compared with 14 percent of households where the parents are married. The report also showed about 29 percent of Hispanic households with food insecurity compared with 27 percent of black households and 12 percent of white households.

According to the USDA, families reporting food scarcity have at least one adult with a full-time job. The problem then may be wage decrease, not job loss.

According to the Fairfield County Food Bank, a family of four needs a living wage of $32 per hour in order to survive. However, the working poor usually earn Connecticut's minimum wage per hour: $7.65 in 2008, $8.00 in 2009, and $9.00 in 2010.

At the 2008 rate of pay, this hypothetical family must work 167 hours per week to afford a one-bedroom apartment. That means the family would have to work nearly around the clock. Faced with this quandary, many go without meals rather than skip rent.

"The turkey shortage is just part of the problem," Tarantino said.

Want to Help?

Go to ChowdaFest today. All the proceeds go to the CT Food Bank.

WHAT IS CHOWDAFEST?
It's a great "fun"raiser for The CT Food Bank where YOU (yes, you) can pay just $5 (kids under 12 are FREE) and be an official judge, then sample great soups and chowders from some of the area's best restaurants, then vote on your favorites!  

WHEN IS IT?  -  Fri. Nov. 27th and Sat. Nov 28th  11:30-3:30 each day

WHERE IS IT?  -  The Unitarian Church in Westport 

WHAT TO BRING?  -  For starters, bring your family and friends.  It's the best deal in town - just five bucks (kids under 12 are FREE) and you'll be tasting over 40 ounces of decadent soups and 'chowdas'.  That's like over 4 bowls of soup.  ALSO - if you bring a can or box of non-perishable food you'll be entered into a drawing for a FREE dinner - the more you bring, the more chances you get.

For those who can't make ChowdaFest, they can support the Food Bank’s “virtual food drive,” an online feature that allows people to click on a food item and donate the purchase price of that item to Connecticut Food Bank. Funds donated through this virtual food drive will be used by Connecticut Food Bank to purchase the foods that are most needed.