Food Supply Down As Need Goes Up

By LENORA LAKE Tribune correspondent

Published: May 10, 2008

UNIVERSITY AREA - Cases of spaghetti sauce, pasta and ramen noodles are marked with "5-20" and awaiting distribution for those in need at the Santa Maria Mission.

It is the first time that mission coordinator Ondina Hernandez has had to set goods aside for the mission's food distributions two weeks down the road. Otherwise, she is afraid she wouldn't have anything to give about 150 University Area residents who will go to the mission at 14006 N. 15th St. for assistance May 20.

"At least I know now that they will get three things that day," said Hernandez, who added that the sauce was donated and the other items purchased with donated money.

The mission's food supply from Nativity Food Bank has been cut in half, with food only available to Santa Maria Mission every other week. As recently as summer, Hernandez thought its steady supply of canned goods and dry packaged items would continue. As at many food banks across the county, resources have dwindled.

"As much as they would like to help us, it is every other week now," Hernandez said.

In addition, the number of those assisted by Santa Maria grew from about 80 each week in the summer to about 150 a week now.

Tuesday, a line of people needing help was waiting long before the food arrived.

It was a good week because St. Mary Catholic Church, which sponsors the mission, held a food collection drive Sunday.

"What is saving us is St. Mary. If we hadn't had this collection, we wouldn't have anything to give away," Hernandez said.

St. Mary parishioners Mark Bokor Sr. and his son Mark Jr. delivered the food to the mission. They do it regularly.

"This is the largest collection to date," Bokor Sr. said. "The church is putting it in the bulletin that other sources aren't as plentiful."

Food banks and distribution centers across the country are reporting increasing needs with the economy in decline, more people losing jobs and basic living costs on the rise.

Today, U.S. Postal Service letter carriers will sponsor Stamp Out Hunger. The effort is the nation's largest single-day food drive, according to a news release. In the 16 years since the drive began, its has resulted in more than 836 million pounds of food from postal customers.

Jackie Manthos, president of St. Vincent de Paul Hillsborough County, said "a different clientele" is now coming to its pantry at the 12310 N. Nebraska Ave. The indigent and the homeless are still referred there by 51 agencies, but so are others who are affected by changes in the economy.

"We are seeing people with jobs; we are seeing people who have lost their job," Manthos said. "It is the people who are not used to it, and they are embarrassed."

St. Vincent de Paul, which served 6,800 clients in 2007, also had its United Way funding cut from $30,000 in 2007 to $13,000 for 2008, she said, adding that her organization had requested $50,000 because of the increasing demand.

Manthos said a committee looked for ways to cut expenses, and now St. Vincent de Paul buys surplus food from the Department of Agriculture and goods from the Second Harvest Food Bank instead of grocery stores. It encourages local churches to hold food drives and gets expired bakery items from Publix.

The St. Vincent de Paul president said she is worried about summer, when needs increase because children are out of school and don't receive the free meals they get during the school year.

Lucious Davis, manager of the University Area Community Social Services Center, 13605 N. 22nd St., has the same concern. His agency depends on food drives at local schools to stock the pantry.

"We are OK right now because we just got a donation from one of our partner schools," Davis said, "but it goes blowing out the door as fast as it comes in.

"We are really going to be in trouble when school lets out."

TO HELP

To participate in Stamp Out Hunger, a nationwide food drive by letter carriers, leave nonperishable foods in a sturdy bag at your mailbox today prior to mail delivery.

Tribune correspondent Lenora Lake can be reached at (813) 865-4841 or llake@tampatrib.com.