Local Hunger Relief is No Small Task

According to the organization Feeding America, hunger is a reality for one in six Americans. Studies also indicate that 48 percent of the clients served by local food pantries live, not in the inner-city regions, but in suburban areas. The struggling economy and rising unemployment rates have sparked new pockets of poverty and a growing need for the services of local food pantries every day of the year.

During the holiday season there is a heightened awareness of those struggling to put food on the table. But it is important to remember that hunger has no season. The hard work of the people who support local food banks and hunger relief efforts is needed all year long.

The Foodbank, located at 427 Washington Street in Dayton. is the food distribution hub for Montgomery, Greene and Preble Counties, annually distributing enough food for more than 5 million meals. Its mission is to acquire and manage food resources and distribute them through the local hunger relief network, address the nutritional needs of targeted, at-risk populations and to serve as advocate for the poor and hungry in the Miami Valley region.

Most of the food that comes to The Foodbank is collected by local food drives organized by schools, churches, retail chains and civic groups. During the months of September through November in 2010, the Greene County Career Center in Xenia had one of the top five food drives, collecting more than 2,600 pounds of food. But collecting the food is only the beginning.

Managing, collecting, sorting and distributing the hundreds of thousands of pounds of food passing through The Foodbank each year is accomplished through the hard work and dedication of more than 600 volunteers and 13 staff employees. Warehouse volunteers work an average of 2,000 hours annually preparing items to be dispersed to 77 member agencies.

From 9 a.m. until noon and 1 to 4 p.m., five days a week, they collect, weigh, sort and package every food item that comes in the door, right down to the smallest can of tuna. Everything is carefully inspected, one item at a time, separated into small, manageable containers and cataloged for shipment.

To get an idea of how much work is involved in the process, consider the volume of material that comes in during the weeks prior to Christmas. In November of 2010, for example, The Foodbank took in more than a half-million pounds of food - 536,493 to be exact. That averages out to 26,825 pounds of food being processed for distribution every business day.

In addition to loose items collected from area food drives, The Foodbank also receives large scale cased goods and commodity items obtained through retail donations, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the State of Ohio.

Arriving at the warehouse in the form of canned products, frozen foods, meat and dry goods, these items come already sorted, prepackaged and palletized. Once these products are weighed and inventoried, they are also scheduled for distribution.

Providing hunger relief to more than 100 feeding programs could be a far more daunting task if not for the generous donations of food, money and time offered by a greatly supportive community. From those who organize food drives to people helping out at soup kitchens, the efforts of all involved are greatly appreciated every day of the year.

While it may seem like a lot, there is simply never enough food available to meet the ever increasing demand. The Foodbank is part of Feeding America which provides food and support services to more than 200 food banks and hunger rescue agencies throughout the United States.

To learn how to help, schedule a tour, make a donation, or organize a food drive to benefit The Foodbank, call (937) 461-0265, extension 17 or go online to www.thefoodbankdayton.com.

Columnist Gery L. Deer is a freelance journalist and business writer based in Jamestown. For more visit www.gerydeer.com.