In the midst of our affluent society lurks hunger. It stalks children and the elderly alike. Hidden from most of us, it makes itself known to the poor, the unemployed, and to those who simply fell on hard times when their luck ran out.

No one wants to talk about it, but it’s there in our schools and in our neighbors’ homes. Hunger does not discriminate. Families struggle to find enough food to eat whether they live in Drexel Hill and Swarthmore, or Chester and Darby.

There are different kinds of hunger—hungry with a job, hungry with kids, hungry and in college, hungry and a senior citizen.

There are the newly hungry who still have a stigma about needing to ask for food. “It doesn’t seem like our largest cultural goal is to be sensitive to this group. In fact, it seems the cultural goal is to ignore them, to make it look like they don’t exist.” commented Marinda K. Harrell-Levy during a Delaware County Hunger Conference convened last March. Harrell-Levy is an associate professor of Human Development and Family Services at Penn State University. The newly hungry take on the cultural view of themselves as lazy, uneducated, disengaged, weak. “The stigma makes it harder to seek help,” she says.

A lack of food is particularly hard on children, and on the parents who agonize about seeing their children go hungry. The Recession in 2008 saw many families struggling for the first time. There was a 31 percent increase in Delaware County for children enrolled in SNAP (the government-run Supplemental Nutrition Assistance program) from 2009-10 to 2012-13, according to a report by the Public Citizens for Children and Youth.

Some parents depend on schools to provide that extra food to feed their children. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 23,000 students in Delaware County were eligible for free or reduced lunches in 2012, 35 percent of the student population. The United States Department of Agriculture provides a variety of programs focusing on kids and the schools, including the National School Lunch Program, the School Breakfast Program, the Special Milk Program for Children, the Child and Adult Care Food Program and the Summer Food Service Program. Families at 130 percent of poverty guidelines can receive free meals or milk. Those at 185 percent can receive reduced lunch prices.

Valerie, mother of four boys, described being on SNAP benefits back in March when she spoke at the Hunger Conference. “It’s always stressing me out. We fall short every month,” she said. They tried to keep foods like peanut butter and jelly in stock so there was something to eat “towards the end of the month when we run out of food.” Valerie also became an expert on coupon clipping and shopping around for the cheapest food. She cooked her own food, a cheaper and healthier way to eat.

The food pantries

When resources finally run out for an individual or a family, many turn to the variety of non-profit and church-run food pantries in the county. As was reported in this series, these pantries and cupboards are largely staffed by volunteers and depend on generous donors to keep the shelves stocked and the hungry fed.

St. Mark’s Food Emergency Food Center, 2220 S. Sproul Road in Broomall, has been operating for 30 years and currently works with more than 40 volunteers. It serves an area that includes Marple Newtown, which has 16 percent of its residents living below the poverty line, according to Maria Kollar, director of the center. These volunteers work relentlessly battling local hunger and so they are grateful for any coverage they can get from a series like this one. Commenting on a September article about the St. Mark’s Center, Kollar said, “I saw it and am overwhelmed with gratitude for your efforts. I also hope it yields results.”

The Center is part of the Delco Interfaith Food Assistance Network, which serves Edgmont, Haverford, Marple, Newtown, Radnor and Springfield Townships. To find out more about the St. Mark’s Center, visit www.stmarksumcbroomall.net.

The Bernardine Center in Chester has been helping feed the hungry since 1986. The center tries to provide eight days of food for everyone in a family. But there’s more going on at the Bernardine Center than just giving out free food. There are anger management courses and a computer lab to help people develop computer skills. “We try to have programs that help people move up the ladder or get skills that help them get jobs,” says Sister Sandra. To find out more about the Bernardine Center, visit www.bernardinecenter.org.

At Loaves and Fishes, operating out of Prospect Hill Baptist Church in Prospect Park, empathy is felt for the elderly who come through the pantry needing food. “A lot of the older folks here don’t have assistance from their families because so many family members move away these days,” said volunteer Avis Beck. Older people often get laid off from jobs and can’t find another because they lack the technology skills. When money runs out, they may end up at a food pantry. It is estimated that 423,232 seniors in Pennsylvania are struggling with hunger. Government and non-profit programs exist to help. Seniors can call the County Office of Services for the Aging at 610-490-1300, or visit www.delcosa.org to see what programs and services might be available.

In the Fall of 1995, First United Methodist Church in Media saw a need to reduce hunger in the county and created the Media Food Bank. Besides food, they also provide free clothing, discounts on medication and other medical services. This food center recently created a garden to ensure some truly home-grown commodities. To donate food to the Media Food Bank, or for more information, call 484-442-0033, or visit them on Facebook at facebook.com/Media.Food.Bank.

The Angel Food Pantry at Cokesbury United Methodist Church, 307 Market St. in Marcus Hook, has been helping feed the communities of Marcus Hook, Trainer, Linwood and parts of Upper Chichester for about three years. Last year, 400 people received food. The pantry exists because of a devoted staff of ladies. They depend on private donations, church parishioners, community organizations and the refineries to keep going. “It’s a family, community affair,” says Anna Kersey, who runs the pantry. The pantry will also hand out coats, scarves and gloves in the winter. Happily, after a story on the food pantry appeared in this series, they received a $100 donation from a senior citizen and a Broomall woman offered to donate food. To make a donation, or for more information, call Anna at 610-485-0311, or Doris at 610-485—0684.

Abandoned pets

Even animals can feel the pinch of hunger. When owners fall on hard times, so do their pets. Abandoned cats and dogs can be found wandering the streets in search of food. As shelters take on the job of feeding people, they also struggle to keep their pets fed. “We have seen more increases as people more strapped by the economy turn their animals into the SPCA or leave them behind in the streets,” said Fran Wayne, president of the Animal Friends of Lansdowne. In addition to pantries and shelters feeding hungry pets, the Delco SPCA also visits Loaves and Fishes once a year to spay and neuter animals to prevent lost pets and unwanted litters.

The last word

Hunger may stalk some individuals and families in Delaware County, but it doesn’t have to find a home here. As demonstrated in this series, there are many outlets and many ways to help those who struggle to get enough to eat. All it takes is the courage to acknowledge the problem and the will to offer that helping hand.

Delaware County News Network – November 6, 2014 – Read article online