At region's food programs, no recovery in sight

The nation's economic leaders have declared that the country has begun to emerge from the deepest recession in decades. But with the holiday season approaching, a return to prosperity feels more distant than ever at many Washington area food pantries.

In Leesburg, Loudoun County's largest food pantry has experienced a 70 percent increase in clients seeking food since January, and its executive director predicts another jump this month and next. In Montgomery County, staff members of one food bank are seeing donations level off and wondering how they'll keep up with demand.

In Fairfax, the county's largest emergency food provider might not have enough turkeys and stuffing to provide the traditional Thanksgiving fixings. And in the District, the director of one meal program says it's scary to think about how many people will come through the doors this winter.

"I don't know what economic recovery people are talking about, because we're seeing things get worse," said Amy Ginsburg, executive director of Manna Food Center in Gaithersburg. "We will not turn anyone away, but I'm a little concerned about how we're going to manage the increased need."

November and December are often the busiest months for food pantries, and many providers expect this month and next to bring record numbers of needy families. It's a scenario that seemed inconceivable to nonprofit leaders a year ago, when many set records and didn't think demand could go higher.

"There was a sense that things couldn't get any more desperate, and things seemed to stabilize for a while this summer, but there's been another dramatic increase," said Roxanne Rice, executive director of Food for Others in Fairfax.

Rice's program, which distributes bags of food to needy residents in Fairfax and Arlington counties, served more than 2,000 people in September, 34 percent more than a year earlier. And although she said she's not sure what to expect this holiday season, she predicts another sharp increase.

That's a scary prospect. Last year, Food for Others gave out 700 turkeys for Thanksgiving. This year, the program has yet to receive donations of holiday food. Rice said she fears that some residents who gave last year might not realize that the urgency continues.

Staff members at Loudoun Interfaith Relief do not have to worry about turkeys: The county government provides holiday meals. But Executive Director Bonnie Inman said she worries about whether donations will keep up with need. The group has provided food to about 1,000 more people each month of this year, she said.

"In a normal year, we live for the holidays because giving goes up and we live off of that for the rest of the year," Inman said. "We're hoping that we'll open the door one day and the food will be there."

In addition to special holiday ingredients, many food pantries have particular needs for staples such as peanut butter, canned soup, pasta and rice. Those can sustain hungry families when there isn't much else to eat, Ginsburg said.

Increased need is also visible at soup kitchens and other facilities that provide hot cooked meals. As the weather gets colder, more homeless and poor families are likely to turn to meal programs during the day, according to Richard Gerlach, executive director of the So Others Might Eat meal program in Northwest Washington. The group serves as many as 500 people per meal, and at least 800 individuals a month, he said.

"We're serving 43,000 more meals than a couple of years ago, and that's a major strain on the food budget," said Gerlach, whose program serves breakfast and lunch.

So Others Might Eat's concerns have been compounded by the fact that many churches and synagogues that partner with the group have had financial struggles. That has put more of a burden on individual donors, he said.

"People really understand now more than ever that this could happen to them," he said.