Families hit hard by recession leaving food pantry bare

Sun Journal file photo

A Good Shepherd Food-Bank volunteer works at the bank's Auburn warehouse in 2008.

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- Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal

Sun Journal file photo

Pastor Justin Thacker gives cereal to siblings Justice Diaz, left, Lorenzo Diaz and Amalia Gonzalez-Leal during Sunday School at Praise Assembly of God in Rumford Center in 2008. The cereal came from the church's food pantry. 

- file

To help Rumford's Praise Assembly of God church food pantry from now through Christmas and during the winter, contact Thacker at 364-3856 or visit www.praiseassemblyofgod.net.

RUMFORD — Demand for food from River Valley area families in need continues to grow, according to Justin Thacker, pastor of Praise Assembly of God Church at 170 Andover Road.

"We're way up this year, helping six to seven more families a month," Thacker said early Friday afternoon. "Every 10 days, I've had to make trips to the Good Shepherd Food-Bank in Auburn."

High unemployment from Bethel to Dixfield from businesses closing or downsizing due to the recession, and an unexpected 22.5 percent spike this fall in Rumford taxes caused by a multimillion-dollar drop in valuation of the town's two largest taxpayers, all have contributed to economic woes — even for normally well-off families.

"Some of the people we are helping are well-to-do families who are finding themselves in economic trouble this year," Thacker said.

"In Rumford, where many people are on fixed incomes, it's taking a huge toll. There are a lot of folks that are hurting."

According to Linda Walbridge of the Western Maine Economic Development Council, the county's unemployment rate is currently at 17 to 19 percent, depending on the town.

Of 115 families served by the Rumford church's pantry with its Thanksgiving giveaway baskets — each of which contained a 12-pound turkey — 76 live in Rumford.

"For this year's Thanksgiving giveaway, we went into some pretty nice houses, because folks there are fighting off foreclosure or high credit card debt," Thacker said.

"Looking at their homes from the outside, it looks like they're doing well, but inside, they're barely hanging on."

When Rumford selectmen learned of Thacker's request for a donation at the board's Nov. 23 meeting, Selectman Greg Buccina motioned to give the pantry $200. It was unanimously approved.

That's $100 more than in previous years.

"I was shocked by that motion," Thacker said. "I believe that was God's grace, because the Lord definitely wants us to feed the hungry."

He said the extra money is "very much appreciated" because Thacker buys food at the Good Shepherd Food-Bank at 16 cents a pound for most foods.

"So an extra $100 or $200 buys a lot of food, and we're excited about that," he said.

But, unfortunately, the Auburn food bank is closed until Wednesday, Dec. 2.

So food pantry pickings are pretty sparse now, and winter has yet to arrive.

"This month, we had 16 more families than what we budgeted for and support," he said. "We had 10 new families in last week just for regular stuff, so it was a double whammy. After the last 15 families, we ran out of food."

The pantry provides hamburger, hot dogs, pork chops, chicken, peanut butter and jelly, vegetables, pasta, bread, juice, milk and baby supplies.

"I can't keep enough diapers in stock," Thacker said.

This year to date, the food pantry, which is open from 9 a.m. to noon on Tuesdays through Thursdays, helped 213 families and distributed 3,669 pounds of food.

Thacker said the pantry's major referral sources are area town offices, mental health agencies and word of mouth.

It is also open by appointment. Additionally, food deliveries are made several times a week to families lacking transportation.

Since October 2003, when the pantry was reopened after a one-year hiatus, the church has delivered 43,000 pounds of food to 1,850 families in Rumford, Mexico, Dixfield, Peru, Bethel, Greenwood and Woodstock.

"We don't say, 'Just Rumford only,'" Thacker said. "If somebody's in need, we try to help them."

Due to growing membership and a desire to enlarge their 8- by 10-foot food pantry, Thacker said the church building itself has been for sale for more than a year.

He would like to sell it and use the proceeds to move into a larger building closer to Rumford's populace.

"Without question, it is the desire of Praise Assembly to help feed the hungry and clothe the destitute who live in our community," Thacker said.

"It has been a great joy over the past six years serving our community while helping fight hunger in the River Valley," he added.

tkarkos@sunjournal.com