TRAVERSE CITY — Days ago, Edith Plumb changed the food items given monthly to clients of the Mancelona Food Pantry & Resale.
She tries to keep people from growing tired of the same meals. This month includes sweet potatoes, soup, dry beans and macaroni.
Call it a sign of the times, but November is not even a week old and Plumb is running low on supplies.
"I'm almost out of my sweet potatoes already," she said. "I've had that many people come in already in three days."
A food drive next weekend could change that. Antrim County Democrats will collect donations at grocery stores in Mancelona, Bellaire and Elk Rapids to support a handful of local food pantries.
As the holiday season approaches, a time of year that generally prompts extra community goodwill, some regional food pantries are gearing up for late-fall food drives to prepare for cold months.
Several others regularly purchase food items to replenish their stock, a situation happening more of late as nonprofits continue to absorb higher caseloads as the state recovers from a devastating economic recession.
Mancelona Food Pantry & Resale serves between 220 and 250 families each month, Plumb said. At least 20 more families than usual sought assistance in October.
"At this time of year, those we haven't seen during the summer come back, and we get others added on to the list," she said.
A food drive is planned for Saturday and Sunday at Oleson's Food Stores in Grand Traverse County. The Northern Chapter Harley Owners Group will host the event for The Salvation Army.
Rows of stacked, empty boxes line the walls of The Salvation Army's lower level. The drive typically generates enough donations to last until next summer, said Dave Gibbons, social services director.
Past events have brought in an estimated 8,000 pounds, Gibbons said. The pantry currently has a decent supply of cans and boxes left over from previous donations.
"It's either feast or famine," Gibbons said. Lately, "it's just been feast."
The Father Fred Foundation in Traverse City ran a "virtual food drive" to coincide with a fall collection last month. For the first time, donors could contribute online with a credit card.
About $50,000 was raised, Operations Director Norm Bamberg said. The fall event was designed to replenish the pantry after slower times in late summer.
Halfway through this year, 813 more adults and nearly 900 more children received food from Father Fred's pantry than during the same period in 2009.
It is by no means unique. In October, 1,530 people from 765 households received food from Benzie Area Christian Neighbors, in Benzonia. That's up from the same month a year ago, when 1,174 people from 472 households asked for help.
To accommodate the need, the nonprofit held a weeklong food drive at Benzie County grocery stores in conjunction with Father Fred.
"We are just drained beyond belief with service requests," said Gerri VanAntwerp, BACN's volunteer coordinator. Economic recovery "has got a long way to go to reach those folks."
Region
Related Photos
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Volunteer Carroll Denzel, of Traverse City, takes donated food out of a bag Thursday, prior to the food being taken to the downstairs food pantry at the Salvation Army in Traverse City. Record-Eagle/Keith King
Food pantries trying to keep up with demand
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