Food banks need our help (WA)

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By The Herald Editorial Board

... During the past year, much of it spent coping with the pandemic, the number of Washington residents who struggle to provide three meals a day for their families — considered “food insecure” — nearly doubled from 850,000 individuals before the pandemic to about 1.6 million as of this May. That number is expected to grow to 2.2 million adults and children by December ...

https://www.heraldnet.com/opinion/editorial-food-banks-need-our-help-especially-now/

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1. Food bank sees increased need (NC)

by Shanteya Hudson and Sydney Basden
Tuesday, November 17th 2020

... With more than 160,000 people facing food insecurities in the area, the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina is facing new challenges as demand increases during a difficult time.

Officials say the food bank and its partner agencies have seen almost a 40 percent increase in requests for food assistance ...

https://wcti12.com/news/local/food-bank-sees-increased-need-as-covid-19-continues-into-the-holidays

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2. Food banks need help (NM)

Shellye Leggett

... one out of every three children are at risk of hunger in New Mexico and for the states' population, that's one out of every five people.

"That's hundreds of thousands of people across our state who are likely to experience hunger because of the pandemic," Warwick said ...

https://www.koat.com/article/food-banks-need-help-spreading-holiday-joy-this-season/34707269#

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3. SF-Marin Food Bank sees increase in food demand (CA)

by: Philippe Djegal
Posted: Nov 17, 2020 / 06:50 PM PST / Updated: Nov 17, 2020 / 07:03 PM PST

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (KRON) – The pandemic has led the San Francisco Marin food bank to serve more people than it ever has before ...

https://www.kron4.com/health/coronavirus/sf-marin-food-bank-sees-increase-in-food-demand/

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4. Oregon Food Bank asks for help (OR)

... The Oregon Food Banks saw a sharp spike in people needing food assistance in March and April. It says it expects that to be the case again over the next four weeks.

The food bank points out that during the last round of restrictions, stimulus bills and extra unemployment benefits were in place, which isn't the case this time. The food bank is hoping for the community's support in the weeks ahead ...

https://www.kptv.com/news/oregon-food-bank-asks-for-help-as-state-enters-2nd-wave-of-coronavirus-restrictions/article_b63119e4-2945-11eb-8154-0ff8a393ebeb.html

[utopian]

16. And a decrease in food supply

I run a food pantry that relies on OFB, and they've got a tough row to hoe. Increased demand, less food, fewer volunteers have made the job of combating food insecurity a lot harder.

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5. Central Texas Food Bank buying 10 times more food during the pandemic (TX)

by: Jacqulyn Powell
Posted: Nov 17, 2020 / 08:00 PM CST / Updated: Nov 17, 2020 / 08:00 PM CST

... “We are purchasing 10 times more food per month than we were purchasing pre-pandemic,” said Central Texas Food Bank President and CEO Derrick Cubbs. “And just to put numbers around that… we’re in a position now where we’re having to purchase over $1 million a month in food.”

Even as the food bank is currently feeding around 300,000 people a month, Chubbs estimates there are still many who are in need and haven’t been reached for various reasons.

“We’re still falling short by about 30% of what we know the actual need is,” he told KXAN ...

https://www.kxan.com/news/local/travis-county/central-texas-food-bank-is-buying-10-times-more-food-during-the-pandemic-to-help-families/

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6. Utahns' need for food assistance triples (UT)

By: Sydney Glenn
Posted at 5:54 PM, Nov 17, 2020 and last updated 8:27 PM, Nov 17, 2020

... “From 2 million pounds on an average month, we’ve gone to six million pounds a month,” said Ginette Bott, the president and CEO of the Utah Food Bank.

The most sobering fact is most of the recipients are first-time food pantry users, Bott said ...

https://www.fox13now.com/news/local-news/utahns-need-for-food-assistance-triples-as-donations-to-utah-food-bank-decreases

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7. With many bare shelves, food banks hope for donations (VA)

by: Deanna Bettineschi
Posted: Nov 17, 2020 / 04:32 PM EST / Updated: Nov 17, 2020 / 07:55 PM EST

HAMPTON, Va. (WAVY) — The donation section of the Virginia Peninsula Foodbank has many bare shelves.

COVID-19 has impacted many families, as well as the community’s ability to donate ...

https://www.wavy.com/news/local-news/hampton/with-many-bare-shelves-food-banks-hope-for-donations-during-mayflower-marathon/

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8. Increased holiday need (WV)

By Kimberly Keagy
Published: Nov. 17, 2020 at 6:38 PM EST|Updated: 13 hours ago

... “As of yesterday, we distributed 14 million pounds. Last year in total, it was 11.2 million pounds,” Kirkhart said.

With a 36 percent increase in demand, the food bank will feed more than 160,000 people across the region ...

https://www.wsaz.com/2020/11/17/facing-hunger-food-bank-seeing-increased-holiday-need/

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9. Exponential growth in need (FL)

By Ken Suarez
Published 13 hours ago

... Last year, Fetto says Blessings and Hope was feeding about 2,000 people a month. Now, after COVID hit, it’s feeding close to 10,000.

The pantry operates out of a former Wells Fargo Bank on Edgewood Drive. The parking lot is not nearly big enough to accommodate all the cars that show up, so they park down the street ...

https://www.fox13news.com/news/lakeland-food-pantry-sees-exponential-growth-in-need

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10. Feeding 500 families a week (ME)

Jim Keithley

... "We started off with 16 families. It went to 300 families and then with the pandemic it went right up to 500,” Swett said.

"We do not deny anybody because people are hungry. Children are hungry. One in five children in the state of Maine are hungry. It's mind-boggling,” volunteer coordinator Jane Riseman said ...

https://www.wmtw.com/article/food-pantry-in-small-maine-town-feeding-500-families-a-week/34703670

[ChazII]

11. My church is giving out 100 bags Thanksgiving fixings

and a $10 gift card to Walmart. We are small and that is the best we can do.


The better thing is that we are a satellite food bank for St. Mary's and folks will also be picking up a box of canned goods, a bag of produce, a bag of vegetables, and a bag of fruit. Today we will have several more volunteers to make sure that people wear their mask while on church grounds and that they keep 6 feet apart. The grounds have been marked with where to stand and what direction to move to keep things safe and running smoothly. We have 132 boxes of food from St. Mary's. Next Wednesday is our delivery day.

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12. Second Harvest might double food service in 2020 (LA)

BY KAREN TAYLOR GIST
NOV 16, 2020 - 6:12 PM

... “the reality is that the need has probably doubled” ...

https://www.nola.com/entertainment_life/article_a71b33cc-2869-11eb-9605-ef52447d19ee.html

[ChazII]

14. St. Mary's in Phoenix

has already doubled their services. They started back in June. Two boxes -TFAB a month. They also have senior boxes and pantry categories. My church does the TFAB program.

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13. Mid-South Food Bank feeds record numbers (TN)

By Camille Connor | November 17, 2020 at 1:57 PM CST - Updated November 17 at 7:06 PM

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - The Mid-South Food Bank has seen an unprecedented amount of food coming in and out of their warehouse everyday, largely due to the pandemic. It has caused them to hire more workers and tap into government funding, and it has cost them millions of dollars.

“This is something way new to us. The pandemic has really impacted a much broader base of clients that we normally have not seen before,” said Scott Fortin, the Mid-South Food Bank’s chief operating officer.

Fortin said about 20 truckloads of food leave the warehouse every day.

“We load up the truck with agency orders. An average truck is about $45,000” ...

https://www.wmcactionnews5.com/2020/11/17/donations-needed-mid-south-food-bank-feeds-record-numbers-families-through-pandemic/

[obamanut2012]

15. This includes students

Many students have lost campus jobs and internships, and are having trouble finding other jobs, of course. Not every kid can live with family, and not every student is a kid. If you have a university or college by you, contact them and ask if they have a student food bank. I just donated a ton of stuff to a local university and a state college (what community colleges are called in FL).