The Emporia Gazette

October 7, 2008

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I have been visiting with Becky Gentry this summer at the Salvation Army, because the pantry is really, really bare. Old Mother Hubbard bare. It’s not as much of a problem during the school year, when various student groups organize drives, or in the spring when Stamp Out Hunger takes place. But once June rolls in, the next three months can be pretty slim.

It is especially bad this year, when the combined pressures of the pet food and beef layoffs, rising energy costs and skyrocketing food costs coupled with the lack of wage increases means many people in our community aren’t getting enough food each week for their families.

This isn’t a Hispanic event, or a homeless event. This is reaching across all races and what we once referred to as the lower middle class (now closer to “the working poor”). Lyon County parents are skipping meals so their children can get proper nutrition. Families are turning to vegetarian meals because protein is more expensive in meat form. People are buying cheap, unhealthy food because they get more to eat for the money - wrecking their health in the process.

Right here, in Twin River City.

Four nights a week, anyone in need can go as often as they like to the dinners prepared by Abundant Harvest on Whittier St. A cook prepares the meal, and community volunteers serve it and clean up afterwards. Again, all ages and races attend, from small children to senior citizens, grateful to have a good, hot meal.

Many people think you can go as often as you wish to the Salvation Army, but that is not the case. An individual is only able to receive food assistance from the Salvation Army six times a year. And only once a month. One sack of groceries to last the entire month, whether it’s for a family of five or just yourself. And the Salvation Army hands out about 25 of the bags each day of the workweek. That’s 500 people who need help getting something to eat each month.

Often, Becky Gentry said, the people who come have never been in this situation before. They have a two-income household, but suddenly the money isn’t going as far as it used to. Often, clients are in the one- to two-month gap before food stamps can begin. Many clients are older people who’ve lost their jobs and can’t find a new one that pays enough to cover their household expenses, or retirees who have seen their financial plans wrecked by inflation.

Enough of the bad news. What can we do? We all have financial pressures at this time, and it’s not likely to improve anytime soon. One person can’t go buy 25 grocery sacks full of food. But 25 people can buy one thing, to fill two or three bags, and 25 more can do the same. A bucket of water gets filled one drop at a time!

If you can get something as a two-for-one, or at a good sale price, so much the better. What’s on sale this week? Why, it’s “10 for $10” week at our major grocery stores. I looked over the sale papers and compared them to the “list of needs” I have from Salvation Army and Abundant Harvest.

At Price Chopper and the Country Marts, you can get all of these for just one dollar each: Libby’s canned fruit, Hunt’s spaghetti sauce, Welch’s dried fruit, an 8-pack of Austin specialty crackers, Martha White muffin mix, Malt-O-Meal cereals and cans of Chef Boyardee.

Abundant Harvest could probably make good use of the dollar-a-box North Star Twin Pops with all this heat, Banquet link or Rodeo smoked sausages, or the Hunter Jumbo hot dogs. There’s also the dollar-each cantaloupes. Country Mart North has put pinto beans on special sale: 89 cents a pound! Plus all the other dried beans are very reasonable, especially if you go for the four- or five-pound sacks. Check out the rice, too, before the prices jump again.

Dillon’s is having a “Buy ten, get the sale price” event. Things that would be good for the Salvation Army pantry would be Kroger Instant Oatmeal, Kroger apple juice, Sunny D 64 oz. and Betty Crocker cookie mix (all at one dollar); Raisin Bran, Crispix, Del Monte fruit bowl 4-packs and Welch’s grape jelly for $1.50; and Nutrigrain and Special K cereal bars for two dollars. Get five for you and five for the pantry!

Abundant Harvest could make good use of the Daisy sour cream at Dillon’s for a dollar or the 64 oz. Dole fruit juices or Tropicana Lemonade for $2. In the $1.50 category, I see Ghirardelli brownie mix, Krusteaz muffin mix, Ball Park franks, Sargento cheese (They can do a lot with cheese!) and Welch’s grape jelly. Abundant Harvest feeds anywhere from 30 - 45 people four nights each week, you know. The cook there said she could use some fresh lettuce and celery, and fresh or canned tomatoes and corn. They’ve got plenty of peas and green beans for now.

I see from Tuesday’s grocery flier that many Always Save staple ingredients are at a very good price. Becky said they especially need spaghetti sauce (99-cents), sugar ($1.60 for 4 lbs.), chicken broth (2 for 89-cents), rice (4 lbs. for $2.50, that’s 24 cups cooked!), various canned beans for 39-cents; canned carrots, sweet peas, diced tomatoes and mixed vegetables for 39-cents; evaporated milk for 69-cents; and a 40 oz. box of biscuit mix for $1.50.

According to my math, I could buy a bag of rice, one spaghetti sauce, and four vegetables for $5.05. I could then make six meals for four people by adding four to six ounces of meat per person, with two more meals’ worth of rice leftover.

And that’s what is needed. Good food, healthy food, sustaining food. Brother, can you spare a dime?

• Abundant Harvest takes donations from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Thursday at 1119 Whittier. That’s just behind the K & S Eastside Conoco on East 12th Avenue and conveniently close to Dillon’s (hint, hint).

• The Salvation Army is open for donations between 9 a.m. and noon Monday, through Friday; 1 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday; and then 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday. They are just up the road from the South Country Mart, at 520 Constitution.

• Country Mart North, 1020 Merchant, has a donation shopping cart right next to the checkout area. How convenient!

• The Emporia Gazette, 517 Merchant St. We’re open 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday - Friday. Just bring it in the front door and we’ll take care of the rest!

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