05/24/10 Food Bank That Helps Greenwich Nonprofits Is At A Crisis Point

Food Bank at critical low

NORWALK

LUCAS HAMMERMAN

Hour Staff Writer

With food at its lowest level in years, the Food Bank of Lower Fairfield County is at a crisis point.

"I have been volunteering here for 25 years, and I have never seen the shelves so desolate," said Don Piper, a volunteer working at the Food Bank. "It is like a wasteland."

Approximately 100 nonprofit agencies in Norwalk, Stamford, Wilton, Darien, Greenwich and New Canaan rely on the food bank for the food the organization disperses into the community.

"We are seeing the demand in Norwalk growing faster and higher," said Kathleen Lombardo, the executive director at the food bank.

Out of the six towns the organization serves, Norwalk is one of the areas most in need, said Lombardo.

Lombardo believes the reason for Norwalk's growth in need is that people here expect to have domestic or residential jobs and are finding their previous employers are no longer hiring. Instead, employers are doing the work themselves to save money in these dim economic times.

The organizations in Norwalk may be seeing the largest increase in demand but all of the organizations are feeling the effects of a lack of food.

"They (organizations) rely on us so they can feed their clients," Lombardo said.

The scarceness of food available for distribution is evident as shelves are empty and sparse.

The amount of food from donations is insufficient to feed the large number of needy people and families, and the food bank purchases large quantities of provisions to meet the demand.

"Every month, we seem to be distributing 20,000 to 30,000 pounds of food more than what we are taking in," Lombardo said.

With a continuous decrease in donations, the food bank and the people it serves through its affiliates are experiencing worry and hunger.

The amount of food needed for organizations to run is considerably large. According to Lombardo, over 100,000 pounds of food leaves the warehouse each month.

"Last year in 2009, we distributed over 90,000 pounds of food in Norwalk to the Christian Community Action," Lombardo said.

Lombardo said the reason for the dismal food supply and the increased demand is the recession.

"We always have the working poor in the food lines but now, due to the economy, we have people who were fired on the lines now," said Lombardo.

People who performed domestic work such as lawn care, construction and cleaning service are increasingly turning to nonprofit organizations for their meals, as people begin to clean their own houses and mow their own lawns.

"It is a trickle-down effect," Lombardo said.

The food bank obtains food several different ways -- donations from the general public, food given by the United States Department of Agriculture and through purchasing food.

The USDA in previous years had been a major source of food. This is no longer the case.

"The line of USDA food used to be wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling. Now, it is only three pallets," said Willy Johnson, the warehouse manager at the food bank.

With the general public and government donations down to minimal amounts, the food bank's only option is to purchase their food. Lombardo estimates that 70 to 80 percent of the food banks provisions for distribution are purchased now.

"We are buying food every week," Lombardo said. "We need monetary donations to purchase food and food for the shelves."

It's now a struggle to help others. "I call it frightening, challenging and we need help because people need help," Lombardo said.

===============================

Please send your comments, news tips and press releases to GreenwichRoundup@gmail.com