Modesto pantry sees demand for food triple as more people lose jobs in pandemic
In a typical month, Interfaith Ministries of Greater Modesto hands out about 60,000 pounds of canned goods, bread, eggs, peanut butter, fresh fruits and veggies, frozen chicken and other staples through its pantry and other food programs.
But that was before the new coronavirus pandemic and the stay-at-home orders and other measures put in place about six weeks ago to stop the spread of the virus, and which have crippled the economy.
After giving out 61,283 pounds of food in February, Interfaith gave out 92,191 pounds in March and then 174,786 pounds in April, according to Elizabeth Greenlee-Wight, the nonprofit’s CEO.
The number of people it serves through its pantry has nearly doubled in the past year, from 2,277 in April 2019 to 4,377 this past month. Interfaith’s other food programs include providing food to smaller pantries, delivering food to low-income, homebound seniors and operating a free mobile farmers market.
“For most people, it’s related to losing their jobs because of the stay-at-home order,” Greenlee-Wight said about the spike. “... We are seeing people in desperate situations that they have not been in before. Not everyone is getting a stimulus check, and people who have filed for unemployment may not have gotten it yet.”
About 56 percent of the people Interfaith serves live in the 95351 and 95354 ZIP codes, which include some of the poorest neighborhoods in the city.
The University of the Pacific’s Center for Business and Policy Research in early April predicted the unemployment rate would reach 20.2 percent in Stanislaus County this month as a result of the pandemic. The center expected California’s unemployment rate to reach 18.8 percent. The center plans on issuing a new report about the pandemic’s effect on employment in mid-May.
Modesto resident Cathy Thurman was among the people who received food boxes Thursday from Interfaith’s pantry. She said that was the third time she’s gotten food from Interfaith after losing her job working on the assembly line at Tesla’s electric car plant in Fremont because of the pandemic. “I’m just trying to survive. I’m not really getting by,” she said.
Mom helps with the rent
Thurman said her mom is helping her pay her rent and she is receiving unemployment, though she said it was a hassle dealing with the state Employment Development Department to get her unemployment.
“It’s a bunch of BS you have to go through,” she said about the state agency’s website and navigating the EDD’s phone system was a nightmare and often ended up in her being disconnected. “I’ve been on hold on the phone for hours.”
She said her three adult daughters who live in Modesto and Riverbank also are not working because of the pandemic. “Everyone is home so all we are doing is eating,” Thurman said, while laughing. “I’m just praying every day this gets better and life gets back to normal.”
Interfaith is not alone in seeing a huge increase.
Second Harvest Food Bank of San Joaquin & Stanislaus Counties reports demand among the food pantries it serves in the two counties has nearly doubled. Before the pandemic, Second Harvest was providing about 228,000 pounds of food per week. That number is now about 411,000 pounds.
More asking for food boxes
The Salvation Army reports that requests from the pantries it serves from its food warehouse in Modesto are up by about 20 percent. And the army reported that more than 500 people turned out when the army recently gave out food at Hanshaw Middle School in south Modesto. The army is planning another food giveaway this month but next door at its Red Shield Center.
“The demand for food continues to increase,” United Samaritans Foundation Executive Director Linda Julien said in a text. The Turlock nonprofit gives out emergency food boxes and its Daily Bread trucks serve lunch throughout much of the county.
Julien said the Daily Bread trucks served about 2,800 more lunches in March compared to March 2019, from 27,516 to 30,303 and the number of emergency food boxes increased from 3,758 to 4,686 over the same time. Figures for April still were being compiled.
Greenlee-Wight said grocery stores, food producers and distributors have been generous in their donations to Interfaith, and the community has stepped up with monetary donations designated to buy food. But she said Interfaith needs money for operating expenses and to buy cleaning supplies, baby formula as well as baby and adult diapers for its clients.
She said Interfaith has lost nearly all of its volunteers. They are seniors, who because they are at high risk during the pandemic, are staying home. “We’ve gone from 40 volunteers coming in on a regular basis to five coming in on a regular basis,” Greenlee-Wight said.
Expenses rise for Modesto pantry
Interfaith has hired one full-time employee, made a part-timer a full-timer and needs to hire one more employee to offset the loss of volunteers. Interfaith’s other operating expenses also have risen. For instance, Greenlee-Wight said Interfaith used to provide seniors with food boxes once a month.
Interfaith now is delivering boxes every week because of the pandemic. Beside being low income, these seniors have limited transportation, such as not owning a car, and don’t have family or others they can rely upon on a consistent basis.
“This is a vulnerable population,” Greenlee-Wight said. She said the number of seniors getting boxes has increased, and Interfaith also is delivering food to people who are medically vulnerable, such as someone undergoing chemotherapy. Interfaith made 472 food deliveries in April, versus about 90 in an average month before the pandemic.
You can learn more about these nonprofits and make donations by visiting their websites. Interfaith: interfaithmodesto.org, Salvation Army: modestocitadel.salvationarmy.org, Second Harvest: localfoodbank.org, and United Samaritans: unitedsamaritans.org.
