ASHLAND —
The cupboard is bare at Hillcrest-Bruce Mission, and qualified families and individuals seeking food from the mission on Eloise Street are being turned away.
“Our shelves are empty, and it has been a real struggle to keep up with the demand we have for food,” said Randy Loschert, executive director. “We are even running out of canned vegetables and fruits, and that is really unusual.”
A prolonged power outage at the nearby Bruce Apartments is a major reason for the shortage, Loschert said. Like residents throughout the region, many residents of the subsidized apartments for low-income families were forced to throw out food that had spoiled because of not having electricity.
“While you and I may have the resources to replace the food they lost, these people do not,” Loschert said. “They have already used their food stamps for July and won’t be getting any more government assistance before the end of the month which is another couple of weeks. They are really struggling to get by until then.”
The problem is not unique to the Hillcrest-Bruce Mission, said Loschert. Through CAReS, the mission participates with the food pantries at First United Methodist Church, Centenary United Methodist Church and Cannonsburg United Methodist Church in meeting the needs of the hungry in Boyd County. Each pantry serves those who live in designated areas.
All of the pantries are experiencing shortages because of increased demands for food, Loschert said. All the pantries also depend heavily on food from the Huntington Area Food Bank, but even it has a shortage of food.
“With all the power outages there have been in West Virginia, plus all those in this part of Kentucky, you can just imagine the demands on the food bank,” Loschert said.
Food banks also have been getting fewer commodities from the federal government, Loschert said.
Donations also are down at Hillcrest-Bruce Mission, in part because so many are struggling, Loschert said.
“We need all the help we can get,” Loschert said, adding individuals can donate dry foods, canned goods and other nonperishables. Donations by check or in cash are always welcome. Gift cards for area supermarkets also are a good way to donate because individuals can purchase the food they need with them and also buy personal hygiene items and laundry supplies, which they cannot get with food stamps.
“We need donations of personal hygiene items and diapers,” Loschert said. They include soap, toothpaste, shampoo, deodorant and laundry detergent.
Even before the power outages resulted in the loss of so much food, there was increased demand for food, Loschert said.
“We are getting people in here who have never been to the mission before,” Loschert said “Nearly every day we sign up new clients who qualify for and need our help.”
Donations can be sent or delivered to the mission at 1819 Eloise St. It is open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
JOHN CANNON can be reached at (606) 326-2649 or jcannon@dailyindependent.
com.
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