Food pantries are feeding hundreds

Church Service Center in Avon Park is now feeding 700 families a month - 25 percent more than last year.

In Lake Placid, Manna Ministries has taken it upon itself the responsibility for feeding 480 families - the poorest people in the entire southern half of Highlands County.

The sheer numbers of people who need help to put food on their tables is disquieting, even to the directors of food pantries who see people line up every day for a handout.

"The number of clients asking for help is way up," said Marlene Christiansen.

"We spend most of our time making the new clients feel comfortable," said Bill Stephenson at Church Service Center in Avon Park. "They're embarrassed and ashamed about holding out their hand. Some of them won't stand in line because of their own personal pride."

This recession has devastated families. It's a sign, economists have been saying, that unemployment has expanded into the middle class.

"We take for granted the keys in our pockets," Stephenson said.

Some of his clients have lost their homes; they're sleeping in their cars, Stephenson said, the uneasiness apparent in his voice. "It brings you up short."

Part of his job is to ask churches to donate cash and food. The money pays electricity bills, and buys prescriptions for the elderly and those who can't afford medicine for their diabetes or heart condition.

People who sleep in their cars can't shower regularly, which inhibits their ability to apply for jobs. To help the homeless, Stephenson has leased an unused motel from the owner: "It has 11 rooms and three apartments, and believe me, they have been full. But it's another drain on our normally low resources."

Even though the prices are wholesale at a Tampa food bank, it's not economical to drive there, so Stephenson buys food at a local grocery store. Last week, the bill was $890.

Atonement Lutheran Church

Atonement Lutheran Church, 1178 Lakeview Dr., Sebring, is preparing its fourth annual Thanksgiving Day dinner. Volunteers need enough turkeys, hams, pies, stuffing, mashed potatoes and bread to feed 200 shut-ins and homeless people, said Ed and Patti Graff.

They'll be taking donations of fresh and frozen food.

"Already prepared is fine," said Patti Graff, "or the stuffing can be in boxes."

Clients will be served at tables in the church social hall. Full-course meals will be boxed and delivered to shut-ins, and the homeless can also receive food at drop-off points like Lemon and Highlands or the parking lot of the Blue Crab, on Ridgewood near Sebring Parkway.

"We let them know, ahead of time," Patti Graff said. "Then we go to a certain area, and people come up the van."

Salvation Army

"We're giving out a lot of commodities," said Major Mary Holmes. "The pantry has been running bare bones for the past couple of months. We've had a lot more applicants, and giving is down. It's a sign of the economy."

The Salvation Army is already collecting Christmas toys. More than 400 families have already applied; Holmes will probably whittle down that number by 25 percent if enough gifts aren't received.

"We try to give a box of food and a toy to a boy or girl under age 12," Holmes said. Donations should not be wrapped in holiday paper.

"Certificates are also nice," Holmes said. Gift cards can come from grocers, department stores or discounters like Kmart and Walmart.

Fresh food is accepted, Holmes said. "We give those out as they come."

For those who enjoy volunteering, the Salvation Army always needs bell ringers, Holmes said, and the Salvation Army will be serving a Thanksgiving dinner from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at 120 N. Ridgewood.

Groceries should be delivered from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday to the office at 3135 Kenilworth.

Seventh-day Adventist Church

Willie Nelson suggests fixings for hearty meals like spaghetti sauce and tomatoes, mixes like Hamburger Helper and Knorr chicken and rice, and canned goods like corn and soup.

"Especially cereal. It's the one thing we can't get enough of," she said. "And tuna fish. They love tuna fish. We have plenty of yams, peas, green beans and mushroom soup. We're getting a lot of mixed vegetables, and that's the only thing we're getting enough of, lately."

The food pantry gets donation bags from grocery stores. Customers donate $10 or more, and the grocery store fills the bag.

"Quite a few of those have come in, but the bags have been much smaller this year," Nelson said. Customers haven't been giving as much money at the grocers.

At Thanksgiving, the food pantry gives clients an extra bag of food, so more is needed.

Food can be left at 2345 Lake Lillian Drive, Avon Park.

Community Bible Church

The church, 1400 County Road 17A, Avon Park, is distributing food baskets, said Florence Mathis. All kinds of food are needed.

More information: 452-1093.

Parkway Free Will Baptist Church & Food Ministries

Dale Hollowell has an unusual problem this year. The Boy Scouts are furnishing the turkeys, but he hasn't walked into a grocery store that will sell more than five at a time.

So turkeys aren't needed this year, but like every food pantry, Free Will needs canned goods. Donations can be left at 3413 Sebring Parkway from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays at 3413 Sebring Parkway.

Free Will is feeding 250 families this year.

"And it's going to get worse," Hollowell predicted. "As we both know, this economy ain't good."

This year, Free Will is asking only for non-perishable food.

"We ain't got the freezer space," Hollowell said. Which reminded him, the pantry needs a couple of freezers. One went down recently. More info: 382-3552.

Manna Ministries

"We're supported by the local churches," Christiansen said. "But the number of clients asking for help is way up. In October, we had 480 families."

That's almost double from last year, she said.

The commodity every food pantry is short of: money.

"We don't have any government grants," said Christiansen, over the din of eight or 10 volunteers, talking with the clients who show up every day for a brown grocery sack of powdered milk, which makes about 15 quarters of liquid; fresh potatoes and green veggies, when they're available; dry beans, pasta, stuffing mix and other government commodities.

Every Wednesday, Manna drives to Sebring to get leftover loaves, buns and pastries from Panera Bread.

Last month, the largest families got a bonus: five pounds of deli-sliced turkey breast; smaller households received half-portions. Large families get 40 pounds of food.

Christiansen was packing the freezers when the telephone rang. Manna will give out hams and turkeys this Christmas, so donations will be needed.

"Everyone is so grateful for what they get," Christiansen said. "Some people think they don't really need all that stuff. But they do. They're really in need."

Donations can be left at 416 Kent Ave., Lake Placid. More info: 699-0093.

Church Service Center

Because they don't have the refrigerator and freezer space, Stephenson asks only for canned and dry goods.

"Cereal, crackers, anything. We're running short. We're just open 21 or 22 days a week, four hours a day, but we're getting buried with the numbers of people. The families seem to be larger," he commented.

Donations can be left at 198 Rowe St., Avon Park. For more information, call 452-6464.