Food banks' needs don't end with holidays

NORFOLK -- After a tour of the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia, Ron Dennis, president and chief operating officer of Farm Fresh grocery stores, made a plea to all who would listen.

"I hope people remember this is a year-round need," he said this week, referring to donations at the food bank. "There is a need for food not just during the holidays but throughout the year."

Dennis' tour of the facility came minutes before he and Larry Pope, president and chief executive officer of Smithfield Foods Inc., jointly announced a donation of 1,000 turkeys to the Southeastern Virginia and the Peninsula food banks. Many in the small group that witnessed the offering nodded appreciatively as they looked around the warehouse where they sat.

"It's good to see they have some food stored here," Dennis said. "But it would be a lot nicer if it was jam-packed all of the time."

The food bank's chief development officer, Marianne Smith, tucked her camera away and applauded. So did Clark Mandigo, the food bank's chief operating officer. They knew all too well what Dennis was saying, and they were tickled that Farm Fresh's top executive shared their philosophy.

Last year, the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia served more than 153,000 people in South Hampton Roads; Franklin; and Southampton, Northampton, Sussex, Isle of Wight and Accomack counties.

The food bank collects, stores and distributes food to more than 500 community agencies, which in turn give the food to the families who need it. Some might think the homeless population is the largest recipient of food bank supplies, Smith said, but that segment represents only 3 percent of the agency's clientele.

"We serve families where the parent has two jobs and are still unable to make all of the ends meet," she said.

The working poor represent 42 percent of the people the food bank feeds, Smith said. Children young er than 18 make up 38 percent, and 17 percent are senior citizens on fixed incomes.

Like any other business in the service industry, the food bank has to plan ahead for its busiest time of year. In March or April, Mandigo and others start thinking about how the agency will help feed thousands of people during the months of November and December.

One thing that separates food banks from other businesses is they rely on donations from others, so they don't always know what they are going to get and when they will get it.

For the past two years, more than 40 percent of the food the agency receives has been donated in October, November and December. That can make planning for the rest of the year tough, Mandigo said.

"If they had been in here three weeks ago, they wouldn't have seen any of this," he said, referring to the food waiting to be distributed in the warehouse earlier this week. "I think Ron Dennis knows that, and I'm sure he understands what it is we're trying to do here during the year."

Hunger is a hot topic during the winter months across the country and in Hampton Roads as well. As the temperature drops and the holidays approach, more public attention is drawn to food donations.

"This really is the time of year people think about hunger," Smith said. "And that's mainly because Thanksgiving and Hanukkah and Christmas are eating holidays. But you can bet that come Jan uary 1, donations will drop off again.

"We want people to start thinking about giving food all year long," she said.

The winter months, especially those leading up to the holidays, put a strain on the resources of food banks. Requests increase by 18 to 20 percent this time of the year, Smith said.

Mandigo said that swell includes those who need food during the year but don't request it.

"Asking for assistance is seen as a weakness in the eyes of a lot of people," he said. "This is the time of year when it seems to be more socially acceptable to ask for help, so many do."

Nationwide, more than 2 million additional people request food assistance during the holiday season and winter months, said Maura Daly, director of communication for America's Second Harvest -- The Nation's Food Bank Network.

"There are 35 million people living on the brink of hunger in this country," she said. "That includes 12 million children."

Contributions of businessmen such as Pope and Dennis are certainly not lost on food bank staff.

"This is unbelievably awesome for both of our organizations," said Stephen P. Terveer, CEO of the Peninsula food bank.

But there still are those who go without for one reason or another.

"We never have enough food, and we never have enough money," Smith said. "Right now, we need 15 million pounds of food to come through our doors to feed all of those who are without during the year, so we can always, always use the food or the funds that people want to donate to us."