Aug 13, 2008 9:50 pm US/Central
Food Pantries Struggling Amid Tough Economy
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
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Families line up for help from a Chicago food pantry on Aug. 13, 2008.
CBS
Making ends meet is becoming a struggle for more and more people everyday. Unemployment is up and it seems new layoffs are announced almost every day.
CBS 2's Dana Kozlov reports that it has more people than ever before turning to food pantries for help, but at the same time, the pantries themselves are having a hard time keeping the shelves stocked.
At a Southwest Side church, hundreds of people lined up for food on Wednesday.
Chicagoan Alfredo Velazco said, "I come here every Wednesday and I'm very grateful."
Carla Munoz said, "It is really good...don't have jobs...it's good."
Elizabeth Arreola, the food pantry's longtime director, said demand is so great that she can barely keep up.
"There are so many...won't have enough...and their children," Arreola said. Almost 4,500 people came to the food pantry for bags of food in July, up from 3,200 people in June. She and others said it's a direct result of the sinking economy.
Kate Maehr, Executive Director of the Chicago Food Depository, said, "For so many people...gas in their tank...or at a pantry."
But food demand hasn't increased only in Chicago; at the Niles Township Food Pantry, demand has risen 25 percent in the last couple of months.
"This is totally bare...full. To the max."
Cynthia Carranza's pantry serves all or part of six northern suburbs. For the first time in years, she'll have to restock before the month is out.
"I have people coming to me with masters degrees...they can't make ends meet," Carranza said.
It's a harsh reminder that no one is immune from these tough times. While demand is up, donations to many pantries are down, making it harder for them to help those in need.
For more information on donating to food pantries, visit the following sites:
www.chicagosfoodbank.org www.nilestownshipgov.org www.northernilfoodbank.org
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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