Hunger Pains

At the Arlington Food Assistance Center one recent morning, every seat in the waiting room was occupied. Disabled people and senior citizens on fixed incomes joined a rising number of unemployed immigrant workers who have lost construction or housecleaning jobs.

"There is no work, like there was before," said Juana Perez, 34, who lost her house-cleaning job.

Recipients start lining up at the warehouse at 7:30 a.m., many arriving by bus or on foot, although the center does not open until 10 a.m.

"More and more people are reaching out to us because they need us," said Christine Lucas, the Arlington food bank's executive director.

Some charities that have operated primarily as private, donation-funded nonprofit groups are turning to state and local governments for help. The Arlington food bank recently asked county officials for $45,000 to get through the year, and it wants its annual contribution from the county to more than double next year, to $250,000 from $120,000.

Food banks in New York, Illinois and Louisiana have secured emergency funding from their state legislatures, Daly said. America's Second Harvest is trying to pressure the federal government to increase funding for nutrition programs.

The nation's food banks have been under stress for months. Food contributions by farmers have fallen because they are selling more products overseas, and grocery chains have cut back donations because they have tightened inventory controls. Many area food banks reported in late 2007 that warehouse supplies had fallen sharply as a result.

The economic slump started to hit full force last fall, area food bank officials said. People struggling to pay record utility bills or monthly mortgages turned to charities for food so they could keep up with other necessities. Many people who worked in the real estate and construction industries had lost their jobs or seen their incomes plummet. People first try to skimp on food, but eventually their larders are empty, they said.

"We're seeing a lot of working poor families," Gabala said. "They're working, but they don't make enough to stretch to the end of the month."

Jane Burr, chief of crisis assistance in Arlington, agreed with Gabala. Her department decides who is eligible for food aid at the Arlington center. To qualify, recipients must have an income of less than $3,226 a month for a family of four.

Food banks have become important because the federal food stamp program offers such skimpy benefits, she said. A person who gets $669 a month in Social Security qualifies for only $10 a month in food stamps.

At the Arlington food bank, those approved for assistance by Burr's office are given a bag or box of food, which includes a portion of meat (usually hot dogs or chicken legs), a half-gallon of milk, a dozen eggs, canned goods, bread, baked goods and, when available, produce.

"If we have it, we also try to give a box of cereal, but you know how expensive that is," Lucas said.