Stepping up

Groups that run food pantries, soup kitchens report on the notable response to increased need

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Click here to enlarge this photo Staff photo by SUSAN CRATON Janet Tippett prepares a box of food for a family waiting in the next room at Helping Hands on Friday. E-Mail This Article | Print This Story

Dia Charmansky of Hollywood stopped by Helping Hands food pantry on Friday afternoon.

It only took a couple of minutes for her and her daughter to park and step inside the small facility to deliver several bags of food the Charmansky family wanted to donate.

"My husband and I like to make donations periodically," she said. But, as the economy has sputtered over the past year, the Charmanskys, like most people, have gotten the message that there is an increased need for such donations now.

That need is real. St. Mary's Caring soup kitchen reports a 31 percent increase in the number of people served in 2008 over those served in 2007. Helping Hands assisted 29 percent more families and HOPE assisted close to 23 percent more households with food in 2008, compared to 2007.

"I think in these times, I think it's important you step up," Charmansky said.

Area food pantries and soup kitchens are reporting that the Charmanskys are not alone in this altruistic attitude.

As headlines focus on economic woes, shaky mortgages and businesses struggling to survive, the story in St. Mary's, at least, is that the community has responded to the increased needs. The community has indeed stepped up.

"It's a rare week we don't have somebody pop in with a bag of food, saying they were just thinking of us," said Dana McGarrity, director of St. Mary's Caring soup kitchen. "People are really aware – even though all of us are feeling the pinch – people know there are others who are really hurting."

Rose Slade, president of Helping Hands, echoed that observation. "Absolutely. Absolutely," she said. "The community has really come through for us."

Rose Weiland, co-director with Carol Rocheteau for HOPE of Southern Maryland, repeated the same message. "People have been extremely generous as far as donations go," Weiland said Monday morning. "What has really been saving the pantries is the amount of food and the quality of food being donated."

This response has been heartening to those groups struggling to meet the community's growing needs. It's the good part of the hard times.

Several volunteers with Helping Hands took advantage of a lull in client requests on Friday and sat together in a small room at the Hollywood facility where the group stores its supplies and talked about the past year. Friday's volunteers were representatives from St. John Francis Regis Catholic Church – Mary Mileto and Janet Tippett – and Hollywood United Methodist Church – Paul Rothwell and George Halvosa.

Halvosa noted that one of the trends they are seeing is that former clients – those who used to frequent the pantry but then were able to stop – started to come back to the pantry this past year.

"We're getting a lot of people who haven't been here for years," Halvosa said. "All of a sudden now, they're coming back. That's telling."

Another change they've noticed is the number of grandparents who are coming in because their children have lost their jobs and the grandparents have been left to care for the children, according to Rothwell. "The grandparents are stepping up," he said.

And then there are the new faces – those who say "I never thought I'd have to ask for help."

"Oh, yes," Mileto said. "People that don't usually depend on charity, we've seen more of those … They are so full of gratitude."

She noted that often clients will say that they hope to someday soon be able to donate to the food pantry rather than benefit from it.

Even though St. Mary's County has not suffered as much as some communities as far as foreclosures and job loss, the area is not immune to the times. "The need is so great. It can get to you," Slade said. "When you hear about families with so many negative things going on … It's just heartbreaking.

"Sometimes it's hard to sleep at night," she said. "I pray. I pray a lot."

Weiland noted that a trend they've seen at HOPE is more and more people requesting help because their hours have been cut at their job. All of a sudden, they can't cover their most basic bills – food, rent, utilities.

"But the silver lining is the St. Mary's community really gives," Slade said. "They really come forward and help those in need. They really care."

This is an attitude that Slade and others involved with these kinds of charities are holding on to as the summer months approach.

The summer can be particularly difficult for food pantries because the need tends to increase. School is not in session and all those children who receive free and reduced cost breakfast and lunch at school need to be fed at home. In addition, schools, which are a rich source of food drive donations, are not in session to hold those food drives that are such an important source to the charities.

Food and financial donations continue to be appreciated.

scraton@somdnews.com