Fairbanks Community Food Bank braces for post-holiday supply shortage
Published Saturday, November 15, 2008
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FAIRBANKS — While shelves should be well-stocked through the holidays at the Fairbanks Community Food Bank, officials are already wary of shortages that are expected to hit once the new year begins.
This summer, the food bank saw at least a 10 percent increase in clients, and although donations are steady now, trying to keep adequate supplies in the post-holiday season is expected to be a struggle.
“These days, you can’t turn on the news without knowing we’re in the worst financial situation since practically the Great Depression,” Executive Director Samantha Kirstein said. “And we’re concerned about how it’s going to impact the operation of the food bank.”
Kirstein has been with the Fairbanks Community Food Bank since 1990 and said this is the worst year she’s seen.
Though she noticed a sudden drop in the number of households in need in September with the Permanent Fund Dividend and energy rebate checks, she said the numbers are back up again and anticipates the food bank will see record numbers of families this winter.
Despite cost-cutting measures, low food supplies remain the biggest obstacle for the food bank. The organization’s stock is down by about 20 percent in comparison to previous years, Kirstein said.
The food bank must collect a surplus of about 80,000 pounds of food during October, November and December to prepare for the second half of winter, as donations tend to be less forthcoming after the holiday season. The problem is expected to be worse this year with a slowing national economy.
The food bank is not the only organization seeing more clients this season.
The Fairbanks Rescue Mission serves hot meals three times a day and Rodney Gaskins, the mission’s executive director, said he’s seen a growing number of new families showing up to eat lately.
“This is their last strand of independence and a last-ditch effort to lower their costs, and usually, just one little hiccup can push them over the edge,” he said. “When it gets this bad, we know that it won’t be long before we start seeing them here in the shelter.”
On the other side of Cushman Street, the soup kitchen at Immaculate Conception Church usually serves about 200 people each weekend. In recent weeks, that number has reached as high as 270.
“It’s definitely an increase from last year,” said Cindy Fields, who runs the soup kitchen.
The soup kitchen receives as much as 400 pounds of food from the food bank, as well as donations from members of Immaculate Conception and public donors, but Fields said it was always a stretch to make ends meet.
“We go for nutrition and not too many frills,” Fields said about the menu. “We try to make something out of nothing all the time.”
Ninety percent of food donations come directly from local grocers, but most of those items are perishable and have to be delivered right away, Kirstein said.
“We really rely on canned food donations to stock our shelves, and most of that comes from the public,” she said.
Many donors are making efforts to help the food bank this season, including local grocery stores.
Wal-Mart is donating 600 turkeys the day after Thanksgiving. This is the second year in a row the company has made the donation.
“At this point, I’m just celebrating the fact that this community really seems to care about their friends and neighbors in terms of making sure the network of social services is taken care of,” Kirstein said. “We’re as prepared as we can possibly be for unknown territory.”
The food bank is looking for any items that would go into the grocery cart of an average family.
Pastas, soups, canned vegetables and other non-perishable items can go a long way in a household of any size.
“Having food is healthier than not having any food in these cases,” she said.
Community Discussion
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Wonder where all the $3200 PFD checks went in these families. Maybe they need to begin to verify income so those truly in need get the help.
Personally I think only people who work should get a dividend. By work I'm meaning a whole year before they get the dividend and as soon as they quit they don't get one.
That $3200 went to bikes, and toys and video games and cars and unnecessary things.
The foodbank should hand out job applications with each bag of food. You have to fill the application out and take it to the employer and get a receipt from the employer you dropped off the application. Each time you come begging for food you get a job application. Eventually someone will hire that person and they won't need the food bank.
I am very great full for the food bank for all there hard work. My family will need there help this year. just so you know my family does work. My husband and i both work. we have a large family to take care of. Just so you know we paid our bills, bought a vechile so we can get to work, child care, food, fuel for our home we rent and all other bills this winter. we put half of our kids money in a CD that cant be toughed. That is where all our PFD. I wanted to make sure everything was paid for atleast for a couple months. if you have a problem with my need of help with food for my children you complainers can go else where.
A lot of poor folks have garnishments on their PFD for debts and do not receive the entire amount. The PFD garnishment list is substantial and a matter of public record. That said, the Food Bank tries to limit the frequency it gives boxes to any one person unless that person is working with an agency and case manager. Even so, people do game the system. One woman I know is a regular despite the fact that both she and her husband work. But mostly she gets perishables that are going bad and would otherwise be tossed out. The cost of staff to monitor fraud would exceed what the abusers get. A lot of users just need some temporary help. The chronic users need intensive services if they are going to reorder their lives. That's expensive. It's easy to say 'get a job' but many of these folks have mental and physical problems, do not keep a schedule, maintain standards of hygiene or relate to the public in a way that they are likely to get or maintain employment.
wife 288.... how sad is your thought process! :( It is evident by your coments that you have never found yourself in the unfortunate place of needing assistance, or perhaps have forgotten about it. If by choice or chance out of your control you find yourself in line needing a hot meal or a hand up, I hope that those behind the line smile warmly at you, greet you as a person of worth and offer kind words of encouragement to you. Something each of us needs!
It would do you well to volunteer and offer of yourself to those who are less fortunate as you obviously must be. It just may open your eyes to the fact that these people are human, with wants, needs, and feelings just like you or me! They generally don't desire to be where they are but they find themselves there one way or another. It is by the Grace of God that you aren't there. So please, take the time to get to know someone in need, reach out and give of yourself. It may actually feel good.
Wow. Sounds like we've solved the problem...
Except that, many families *are* working; they're just not able to make ends meet. It takes a lot of courage to ask for help. It doesn't take a whole lot of financial bad luck or timing to send a family into financial crisis. I am grateful for the caring staff and volunteers who work hard with the Foodbank to serve those in need.
Many people are experiencing a mental illness or other disability which may leave some unemployable and others perhaps employable but not making the big bucks. Disability checks are a pittance toward their living expenses.
Some people are single parents and working hard for $12 per hour. Between childcare costs, rent, heating, fuel and one or two other payments, there's not much left over at the end of the month, especially when child support checks are unreliable or a deadbeat parent earns cash under the table and pays only $50 per month toward child support.
Some families have used the $3,200 wisely and yet they still fall short at the end of the month. Ever need to pay off last year's medical bills before you can get necessary treatment this year?
It's unnerving that most Americans are, literally, one paycheck or two away from homelessness. Our society has taught us to measure our worth by our possessions (rather than what we share); and some have set themselves up for a hard fall, especially in this economy.
Sadly, it's too late for many to un-do the fiscal mistakes of the past. Should they just starve or eat from garbage cans while we comfortably sit in judgment of them?
Compassion goes a long way...especially if it's entirely feasible that one day, you may require the compassion of others. I prefer the golden rule to a judgmental "throw 'em to the wolves."
Why are the majority of low income people overweight?
It's so sad when people assume that just because one needs assistance, it must be because they don't work, or they spend their money on frivolously. This is not always the case, there are people who work and just don’t make enough money to pay all their bills and sustain.
You never know what another person or family is going through, or what circumstances they’re enduring. Being in a position of needing help can happen to anybody, and it’s sure nice to know that there are those who are caring, compassionate, and willing to help. If more people had this attitude the world would be a better place.
There was a period in my life when I needed this exact kind of help, and it was embarrassing to have to stand in line at a food bank. Some people look at you like you’re a lazy piece of scum-and that’s sad. Yes, I did work full time and spent my money on bills, FOOD, and living expenses. I eventually got back on my feet, and now I return the favor and help others. Don’t judge what you don’t know!
how about some ideas aimed at fixing the problem? maybe drop boxes in the grocery stores for canned food donations. i would be apt to make a deposit every time i shop for myself. how about a winter Foodstock? maybe the carlson center could be made available for a benefit event. how about that instead of turning a blind eye, we just help each other?
Pay no mind to wife228, refer to her previous posts and you will see that she is nothing more than another racist scumbag with no real thoughts, except bigotry and intolerance.
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Thank YOU food bank!
You help more people than the "negative nancies" posting here ever will.
PhilCollins, I saw a report the other day that was discussing that very fact. One of the current theories is that many of the most most affordable staples are quite unhealthy when used all the time. Things like rice, pasta, and potatoes are all carbs and starches. Canned food is less expensive than fresh items, but it is full of sodium and sometimes packaged in oil and has other stuff added to it.
On the flip side, fresh vegetable, fruit and meat all cost more, and cost money to store. It's a lot less expensive to have a small mini fridge and no freezer and have all canned food than it is to run a full fridge and chest freezer and buy fresh stuff.
Having had to use the Women's Shelter after my Military husband and I seperated, then once I was on my feet in low income housing while going to school after getting out of the military and starting over with 2 small kids, I appreciated the services available in the area. In the lower 48 they base services given on not only yor bank balance but the year of your vehicle. Here they do not care the year or type of vehicle, they still give you the sevice you need with a current year Volvo, Hummer or Mercedes.
Having used those services and now gotten back on my feet, I do as much as I can to support my communtiy. I went to purchase turkeys for Thanksgiving and made sure I purchased one extra for the Rescue Mission. On 99cent Monday at Value Village I will go in and see what items they have for the Animal Shelter. Oh, yeah, they have needs too. They can only buy food for the animals. If an items says 'treat" or is not a necessity they cannot get it with their budgeted funds.
I am also getting together with a group of lady friends and we are going to take pieces of Polar Fleece and make blankets to donate to the Women's Shelter, not to supplement the blankets but so the women and kids can have something of their own for comfort.
If we do not take care of our community now, when we need it the communikty will net be here to take care of us. There are users in all socio-economic groups. Look for them and be aware, but don't turn your back on all the ones that need help.
Wife228 ~ I feel sorry for you.
Wife228-i sincerlely hope that you never find yourself in a position that I have in the past and have need for assistance to feed yourself and your family after the money has simply run out due to circumstances beyond your control, but if you do, the kind and caring people that freely give of their time and energy will be there for you. They are not biased toward unfeeling, uncaring, *itches.
wife228 - Cleveland called. They miss you and want you back. Eat your lousy pizza and allow the rest of us to help those less fortunate.
Fairbanksrn, your post is excellent!
One of the joys of my life has been working with the less fortunate and realizing, as you obviously have, that they are all "people of worth." Everyone deserves and needs a kind word and a smile and a helping hand once in a while.
I see from your username that you are apparently an RN. Your post reminded me of the times I have sat in the hospital with a friend who was going through alcohol withdrawls, and the way the nurses gave such kind and loving care. I'm sure they realized they were treating symptoms of a cruel, disabling disease. But still, to watch their genuine concern over a smelly, unappealing drunk really touched my heart.
The needy in our community are often victims of disabling mental illness, alcoholism and addictions over which they no longer have control. They don't want to be where they are, but circumstances and bad choices have put them there. Many times, people who genuinely care can give them the much-needed encouragement to get back on their feet.
God bless people like you who "give of themselves."
Raisin wages only gives them more to be irresponsible with by raising the wage. Look what happened with the PFD and the dditional $1200, how many new snow machines and car stereos were purchased but FNG nd GVEA still have more people owing them money than are current. THrowing moey is not necessarliy the right way, regulating GVEA, FNG and the other utilities and eac individual being responsible, but that again means someone has to teach or show by example.
I dont think it is anybodies business what their PFD is spent on, it has their name on the check or gets depostied into their bank account.
Sure, responsible people will pay their bills, or save it.
And it is sad when somebody takes advantage of the kindness and generousity of others, taking food out of the mouths of the people who need it so you can save a couple bucks, there are places for people like that, hopefully I wont be there to say "I told ya so"
My, my... a lot of you sure like to sing your own praises.
alaskaflower, I'd like to say to you, in particular: The phrases "less fortunate" and "needy" are only imposed on people by those who think they are more fortunate and who are needy in their own way. From your previous posts, I've learned that the way you look down on others is poorly disguised.
part of the reason my wife and I moved to this town is because we only had $13 to our name and we needed diapers and formula for our baby. A friend of mine in Fairbanks said he had a job for me. I had to sell some furniture to get enough gas money to drive here. That was five years ago, and this little town welcomed us with open arms and we have lived well since. The food bank has my full support and will get extra from my family this year. To all of you who judge those that need help, I wish you luck. Those of us that have been down, way down, seem to have a little more understanding.
wife 228 - your a mean one, mrs grinch! i can imagine you have nothing to do with the food bank or charities, and all I can say to you is God bless you. You are overflowing with anger and disdain. Just because you posted that someday the Lord is going to open your eyes and allow you to struggle! I think we know where the Christmas Spirit won't be this holiday season. I am embarrassed for you.
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