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Food pantries still in high demand; Putnam County running low on supplies

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By DARLENE PRINCE

prince@crescent-news.com

A very high demand for food is taking place at area food pantries. And while most of them are meeting the challenge, one food pantry in Putnam County is running low on supplies.

At the Putnam County Community Thrift Store in Ottawa, manager Nancy Macke said last week, "We are a little different here than most food pantries. We issue food cards and the people can come in and use their cards to choose their food.

"Also, since we are open six days a week because we are also a thrift store," she continued, "people can come in and get their food more often than at most other food pantries.

"I purchase food from the West Ohio Food Bank in Lima and the supply is running low there," Macke said. "I also purchase food from local grocery stores, especially when they run their specials."

As of Friday, the thrift store was out of cereal and she planned to purchase meat this week.

She said use of the food pantry started increasing in 2008.

"Last year, through the whole year, we served an average of 300-350 families a month," she said. "This year, in January, we served 450 families. It has been increasing each month and, in June, we served 500 families."

The thrift store and food pantry for Putnam County residents only is open six days a week from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. on weekdays and from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. on Saturdays.

In Defiance, St. John Lutheran food pantry co-director Rita Bergman said last week, "Demand is very high. Looking at our June statistics, we served 101 families and gave away 381 bags of food. We are not finished with our July statistics yet, but so far we have served more than 120 families with (more than) 500 bags of food.

"Families can come once a month," she said. "We are open from 9:30-11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday."

"We receive day-old bread from Chief Super Market once a week and donations of food from congregation members and other Defiance-area residents, too," she added.

Bergman said people assisting at the food pantry include co-director Nancy Schatz, volunteer manager Pam Haviland and "slews of volunteers."

There are several other food pantries in Defiance, including one at St. Mary's Catholic Church.

In Henry County, the story is the same with increasing numbers of families going to the food pantry for assistance.

The St. Vincent de Paul Society operates the food pantry for Henry County. It is located at the office of St. Augustine Catholic Church in Napoleon.

"Oh my, yes, we have had an increase in the number of families using the food pantry," said Joan Steed, who volunteers at the church office.

"The number of families using the pantry began to increase In April this year," she said last week. She said her husband, Harry, who is the president of the St. Vincent de Paul Society in Napoleon, figured that the number of families served by the food pantry was up this year by 65 percent.

"From January 2008-June 2008, we served 776 families with pantry food and government commodity food," she said. "From January 2009-June 2009, we have served 1,281 families."

"From July 2008-July 2009 so far, we gave away 1,079 sacks of groceries," she said. "Each sack was also accompanied by a package of meat." She said the amount of meat given was set according to the size of the family.

The St. Vincent de Paul Society food pantry is open from 7-8 p.m. on the last two Mondays and the last two Thursdays of each month.