A food storage area at Hands Across Middlesex is nearly empty last week. (Photo by Tom Chillemi)
Demand up, supplies down at Hands Across Middlesex as COVID-19 threat builds
by Tom Chillemi –
The shock wave from the coronavirus has hit the food pantry of Hands Across Middlesex (Hands). The number of area families seeking food assistance has dramatically increased, while revenue and food sources have shrunk, said Dave Cryer, a Hands board member.
Cryer has been working constantly to find food sources to meet the growing need. The number of new clients increased 10 times at the last food pantry distribution day. Where normally there might be two or three new clients, there were 30 new clients at the Locust Hill-based food pantry last week. “We’re expecting that trend to continue,” said Cryer. The month of March saw the largest number of clients served in the 27-year history of Hands.
There are five separate food pantry distribution events each month in Middlesex and they serve a total of almost 400 families at the Cryer Center, he explained.
The coronavirus crisis has created turmoil.
The Hands food pantry usually serves 120 to 130 families on a food pantry day. Last week there were more than 180 families served in one day and the numbers are expected to continue to go up. “Each month Hands expects to add two or three new families to the pantry,” said Cryer.
“How long and how big will this crisis get?” he asked. “We don’t know how many people have lost their jobs and will need food.”
Social distancing
Social distancing has also had a dramatic effect on Hands Across Middlesex. The food pantry now uses a drive-through protocol to limit contact. This protocol requires that volunteers work the day before each food pantry distribution event to pre-pack items to be distributed and then work on food pantry day for the drive-through.
Social distancing has also resulted in Hands shutting down many of its other operations including its twice-monthly yard sale, which provides a significant percentage of its funding. The home repair program is also on hold.
Donations down
Every day of the year, the Saluda Food Lion supermarket donates surplus food to the Hands food pantry, explained Cryer. “If you have been in a market lately you have seen empty or near-empty shelves,” said Cryer, adding the result has been less food donations to Hands.
Monetary donations have also dropped from churches and community organizations that are not meeting due to social distancing.
Adjusting to the sudden changes has Cryer hustling to keep up with new demand for a very basic need — food.
Tons of food
Currently, the five food pantry distribution days distributes up to 50,000 pounds of food per month. The Back-Pack Buddy program adds another 3,000 pounds or more per month, and this may increase with school facilities closed. This program provides six meals for school children over weekends.
Hands’ Commodity Supplemental Food Program, designed specifically to help at-risk seniors, also distributes more than 6,000 pounds of food to low income seniors each month. Finally, in March Hands started working to assist the Middlesex Department of Social Services by using non-contact deliveries of food boxes, household items and prescriptions.
“All of this comes at a time of increased demand and dwindling supply,” said Cryer. “We need all the help we can get.”
If you can assist Hands in any way, contact Dave Cryer at 804-363-0280. If you can donate any amount, please send your check payable to: Hands Across Middlesex, P.O. Box 85, Locust Hill, VA 23092. Donors may designate “Emergency Fund” in the memo line.
