WREX.com – Rockford’s News LeaderMore People Resort to Local Food Pantries for Help

More People Resort to Local Food Pantries for Help

By Inggrid Yonata

ROCKFORD -  Food pantries across Northern Illinois find it hard to keep up with people who need their help.

The latest U.S. Census report shows poverty rates are still extremely high for Winnebago County compared to the year 2000 and more people line up every day to get food for their families.

Rising costs and unemployment pushed a lot of families into poverty. The pantry's director says in just the month of July more than 250 new families registered to get groceries. That's double what they had this time last year.  Kim Adams-Bakke, Executive Director of the Rock River Valley Pantry, said, "A gentleman was here last Friday, he came and said, this time last year, I donated. This time I need your help."   Bakke said it's a stressful time at the pantry. Food demands are high, while food stocks are low.  The biggest challenge is to raise enough money to buy food that costs more.

Maple Evans, 50, came to the pantry today.  She's says it's not just one thing that has families like her, looking for help.  "It's terrible, the economy is so out of control," she said.    The U.S. Census shows more people fell into extreme poverty this year compared to last year. Amy Rynell, Director of Heartland Alliance for Human Needs & Human Rights, said one in five people in Rockford are living in poverty.  "Families are increasingly relying on homeless shelter, relying on food pantries to make ends meet.  It's eroding the quality of life and impacts all of us," Rynell explained.

The Rock River Valley Pantry needs about 6,500 cans of fruits and 6,500 cans of vegetables to serve the 5,000 families that walk through their door every month.  It's looking for donations of non-perishable food items right now.

Here's a 'Needs List' taken from the Rock River Valley Pantry website:

Food Items

• Peanut Butter
• Canned fruit
• Tuna
• Canned vegetables
• Cereal
• Soup
• Pasta and rice
• Cheese
• Beans (canned or dried)

Other Items

• Heavy duty steel shelves
• Copier w/ auto feed, collating & stapling, multi-bin capabilities
• Re-lamping of warehouse - need fluorescent light 8ft in length
• Interior paint in a light yellow for our satellite site

Labor

• Volunteers needed for prepping and painting of building exterior.