Supplies run low at food bank

"I'm scared," said Don Cole.

The Community and Family Services staffer in charge of the Helping Hand Food Bank said Monday that the need for assistance has mushroomed in the past several weeks, putting pressure on the county food bank in ways not normally seen in summer months.

"This is the worst I've seen it," said Cole.

In June of 2008, the food bank assisted 263 families. That was comparable to 2007, when 264 families received help, and 2006 when the number was 258.

But this June, the number jumped to 383 families, an increase of more than 45 percent.

Last week alone, 104 families received food bank assistance.

Cole, who always expresses gratitude for the local support shown to the food bank, said that more than $900 in food was purchased Monday but much of it had left the shelves by Monday afternoon.

A shipment of donated food items was received this week from Peyton's Northern, the Bluffton-based food distributor. But the Peyton donations are determined by what happens to be damaged in shipping and are often not something to build a meal around.

Cole asked area residents to contribute canned vegetables, cereal, macaroni and cheese, canned fruit, and toilet paper.

"We can also take fresh produce," he added.

A planned community garden in 2010 will be a help but doesn't provide relief at the moment.

Cole expressed hope that area organizations can take advantage of the upcoming Jay County Fair to hold food drives and other events to assist the food bank this summer.

"Without something like that, I don't know what we're going to do," he said.[[In-content Ad]]