By Terry Karkos,Staff Writer

MEXICO – There are a lot more needy families in the River Valley area this winter than last year, said the director of a local food pantry.

Last Wednesday, a record 28 families sought food handouts from the Greater Rumford/Mexico Area Ministers and Priests Association Food Pantry, which is housed in the Mexico Congregational Church.

“Demand is definitely up this year, and I believe it’s because of fuel costs, heating oil and gas,” said pantry Director Sue Byam of Mexico on Friday.

“A lot of the older people have had to make choices between food and medicine, and now, it’s between food, fuel and medicine. It’s going to be difficult,” she added.

Byam also blamed the spike, which is quickly depleting their food stock, on the economy and unsubstantiated reports that people are being told in larger Maine towns that better services and less expensive housing can be had here.

“A lot of them come up from Lewiston-Auburn, because they’re told down there that we have better services and lower rents up here,” she said.

The Congregational Church’s pastor, the Rev. Virginia Snapp-Cunningham, agreed, saying that a lot of new families have moved into the area.

“We started getting calls (for food) as soon as December first,” she said Friday.

“People are now being told to call the churches, because there are fewer and fewer places for them to go. The government is saying to connect with the churches.

“Well, that’s OK, but we have to pull it together by ourselves, and it’s very expensive to keep a church going,” Snapp-Cunningham said.

The association consists of six churches from Dixfield, Mexico and Rumford. Pantry foods and money for food are gathered from parishioners, schools, government surplus, the Good Shepherd Food-Bank in Auburn, and organizations and businesses throughout the communities.

“It all helps, because, boy, we really go through a lot of it. The Good Shepherd is one of our lifesavers,” Byam said.

Last September, 63 families received food from the pantry. This September, there were 82. There were 59 families in October 2004, but 79 in October this year.

“I think December is going to be a big month, but it’s odd. We are getting a lot of single people or families of one or two. We used to get a lot of big families of six to eight people and children,” Byam said.

Volunteers hand out the basics to needy families visiting the pantry from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Monday, 6 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and from 9 to 11 a.m. Friday.

“It’s supposed to be for emergencies only, if they’re all out of food, and if their income level is eligible,” said volunteer Marcia Hamlin Monday afternoon.

“Most are low-income, that’s why they don’t have any food. Some people just moved here, though why they move here in the wintertime, I don’t know,” she added.

This month, they’re short on meat, “but, we’ll take anything from anybody,” said volunteer Margaret Aleck of Rumford.

To donate, people can stop by the pantry when it’s open, or contact the church at 364-8603 or Byam at 364-8185.

“Anything you do, you’re not sure how it’s appreciated until you see it through somebody else’s eyes. That makes it more rewarding,” Byam said of one family’s recent giving back to the pantry, which had provided help during a tough time.