By Stephanie Grinnell
Staff Writer   
Summer is a difficult time for food pantries to accommodate all of the families who request help and there are many theories as to why.
People on vacation normally don’t take the time to donate canned goods and other non-perishable items before they leave their hometown, said Bryce Milne of the Saco Food Pantry, adding that is a big reason why supplies decrease in the summer.
He said there are more children who are hungry because they are no longer receiving free or reduced lunches at school and the schools, a large supplier of goods through food drives, are closed. Milne said a large percentage of the donations to the Saco Food Pantry comes from churches, who continue to make donations throughout the summer months.
Milne said the pantry used to be able to collect dented cans from supermarkets and wholesale store, but the stores are now selling them at a reduced price and not donating as much to local pantries.
The local post offices hold a food drive in May, but Milne said people aren’t thinking as much about feeding the hungry as they prepare for the summer. He said the post office drive used to be held in November, around Thanksgiving, and the holiday encouraged people to donate food more readily. Most items collected are non-perishable and can be held throughout the year, so larger donations made during the winter can be held over until the summer, therefore increasing summer supplies.
A major change during the past year has been a decrease in the amount of food supplied to the food pantries and soup kitchens by the United States Department of Agriculture, or USDA, said Milne. He said bigger cities, such as New York, receive a larger allotment of food because of higher population density and Maine is at “the end of the line.”
“We’re all competing for the same products,” Milne said.
Patty Murray of Old Orchard Beach Salvation Army agreed and said she has also noticed a decrease in the amount of food supplied by the government. The Old Orchard Beach Salvation Army used to make monthly trips to pick up USDA supplies, but the trips have been reduced to once every other month. The same van is used to pick up the supplies, but makes less frequent trips, which means the pantry is receiving approximately half the food from the USDA as it has in the past.
Murray said another theory is that rising gas prices are forcing parents to choose between gassing up their car so they can go to work to make money, or buying food to feed their family. She said there has been an increase of families who would not normally ask for assistance, such as two parent families with two incomes. Murray said the higher fuel prices force parents to choose whether to pay the rent/mortgage, bills, fuel or buy food. She said the families don’t want to stop working to support their families and are put in a tough situation.
Combining lower government supplies and the rising number of families who need assistance creates shortages in pantries across the state, with no easy solution in sight.
Both Milne and Murray said they may have been scammed in the past by people who don’t need the food, or are visiting more than one pantry to ask for help.
“If someone is going to come in and ask for food, they must need it,” said Murray in response.
Milne said most people are embarrassed to ask for help and don’t try to abuse a system designed to help them.
“We may get taken occasionally, but most of the time people need our help,” said Milne.
Most food pantries have an application process, which outlines a family’s financial situation. Milne said the Saco Food Pantry uses the government guidelines to determine if a family is qualified for assistance and many of the families he sees are referred by local churches or the city’s public assistance department.
Though they are community helpers themselves, Milne and Murray both expressed thanks to the churches, schools, businesses and individuals who donate food, money and time to their cause.
The need for food is never ending, and certain items are in high demand. Milne said sometimes people request foods or certain brands he doesn’t have, but he always sends people home with something.
“We’re not a supermarket. We get what we get,” he said.