Senior Life: How to fight hunger in Portage County
- Sally Kelly
Have you listened to the national news reports lately? One of the big concerns right now is the famine in the Gaza Strip — people starving to death.
I have sympathy for these people, and I also have concerns for the folks living here in Portage County who suffer from “food insecurity.” Food insecurity refers to the USDA’s measure of regular access to nutritional food for an active-healthy life.
I am not talking about those of us who choose to limit our food intake, but I am concerned about those of us who do not have adequate monthly incomes to purchase food. I know we are all struggling with the cost of groceries today, but some of our neighbors are having to decide every month between food, utilities, rent or medicine.
These people are not just numbers on someone’s annual report. These are real people, who I have known and worked with over the years.
There are resources in Portage County, in fact there is probably a food pantry open somewhere in Portage County every weekday of the month and most of them are subsidized by the Akron Canton Food Bank. This organization, located in Akron, was created in 1982 by a group of concerned citizens from eight area counties. They collect food from local food companies, the state of Ohio, USDA food drives, and a national program called Feeding America.
In turn, their volunteers sort food and create food boxes to be distributed to area food programs who then distribute the food to our neighbors. They also sponsor periodic pop up food pantries. For instance, on Sept. 17 from 1 to 3 p.m., they will bring a pop up pantry to Dix Stadium on the Kent State University campus. On Sept. 22, they will have a pop up pantry on the NEOMED campus in Rootstown from noon to 2 p.m.
If you are not comfortable going to one of these sites, think about this: These programs are not just frequented by individuals who are part of the SNAP welfare program, but are actually visited by folks from a variety of income levels. “There but for the Grace of God, go I.” Your monthly check could be lost in the postal system, changing from Disability to straight Social Security could take longer than you planned, your car needs repairs, you need a new expensive medication. Things can happen!
And do not forget that the food bank is part of the national USDA’s Feeding America Program, which your tax dollars support.
Hang onto this column, or at least the phone number for the Akron Canton Food Bank (330-535-6900). You never know when you may need help!
If you have access to a computer, you can go online to Feeding America, which will help you find a food pantry or lunch program in your neighborhood. Do not forget your local library has computers available for your use.
Individuals can also call our local information and referral service at 211 for the location of free food sites in Portage County. Or, go online to The Portager newspaper, which always has a list of free food sites in our area.
Are you embarrassed to ask for assistance? Why not contact one of the food sites and offer to volunteer to help distribute food, then stick around and enjoy lunch with the group!
Or did you know if you volunteer at the University Hospitals Portage Medical Center in Ravenna, you are given a $6 food voucher to be spent at the cafeteria, for each four-hour shift you volunteer.
Food insecurity can happen to any of us. It could only take a lost check and we could be there. The statistics kept by our area food bank show that 13.3% of Portage County’s population suffers from food insecurity.
Contact Sally Kelly with your senior news at 330-687-9501 or sentrip65@yahoo.com.
Sally Kelly