The need is great and it’s likely only to become greater.
The St. Clairsville Council of Churches’ Food Pantry helps between 145-155 families each month with produce and other edible goods.
That number is likely to increase now that the emergency allotments provided to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) have ended. Here in Ohio, families receiving SNAP benefits will see, at minimum, a $95 per month cut in benefits.
The Center for Community Solutions estimated that the 673,000 SNAP families in Ohio will see an average monthly cut of $172 to their benefits.
That’s a BIG cut.
“We are expecting to see an increase in need with people losing all of their extra food stamps,” said Kathi Hinckley-Vaughn with the St. Clairsville Food Pantry.
The pantry has seen a slow yet steady incline in usage since COVID-19 restrictions began lifting.
Hinckley-Vaughn said during the heath of COVID, between 60-70 families would stop by to pick up a pre-packaged assortment of food.
Post-COVID, the food pantry shifted back to a choice pantry and patrons are able to make their selections in person at the pantry, located at 102 St. Patrick’s Alley on the corner of Main and Marietta streets.
The pantry is open every Thursday from noon until 3 p.m., with evening hours available from 5-7 p.m. the first Thursday of the month.
Eligibility and Age Breakdown
There are eligibility guidelines to receive food at the pantry.
For a family of two, the yearly income limit is $36,620. A family of four will see that limit grow to $55,500. The numbers are available on the pantry’s Facebook page, pinned to the top.
But that’s really the only verification needed in terms of finances to utilize the pantry’s services.
“The qualifications are set by the Department of Job & Family Services, but it’s basically up to 200 percent of the poverty level,” Hinckley-Vaughn said. “But we don’t do case management. No one has to bring in any kind of bank statement or anything like that.”
All you need to provide is a photo ID and something showing your place of residence. This food pantry is primarily aimed at assisting families within the St. Clairsville-Richland City School District. That being said, if a person or family from outside the district stopped by in need of assistance, the pantry will provide one package of food and help said person or family find a closer pantry to their home for future assistance.
Hinckley-Vaughn believes it’s important to create the least amount of hassle for those coming in to seek help from the pantry.
“We have people come in who’ve maybe lost a job and their unemployment hasn’t started yet, or they are going on disability, and it takes a while for that to kick in,” she said. “That’s one nice thing about our pantry is it’s off the beaten path. It’s not out there on main street for everyone to see who’s coming.
“For some of our people, it’s not their proudest moment so we don’t ask a lot of questions because we want to help as many people as we can. The food isn’t doing anyone any good just sitting on the shelves.”
The age breakdown of pantry patrons is roughly 25 percent elderly, or anyone age 65 and above, as well as 25 percent for people up to the age of 25. The remaining 50 percent are people and families that fall in the middle. And as numbers increase overall, Hinckley-Vaughn noted the percentages still hold true.
It’s the elderly who are particularly disheartening to see as she’s noticing more and more senior citizens being forced back into the labor pool because they are no longer able to survive on either their retirement, social security, or in some cases both.
“We see a lot of what you’d call the working poor,” she said. “They are working, not retired, and honestly, it’s just heartbreaking.”
Not All Donations
The food at the pantry doesn’t cost its patrons anything. It’s there to help them and they are not charged for it.
However, like all things, the food isn’t free. It had to be bought and paid for somewhere along the line.
Contrary to what many people think, a lot of the time, the pantry itself is the one footing the bill.
Are there food donations made to the pantry? Yes. Retailers in the community like Walmart, Kroger, and Aldi all donate food to the pantry. That’s a big help, but it doesn’t cover all that’s required on a monthly basis.
“That’s a huge misnomer,” Hinckley-Vaughn said about all the food being donated. “We have 12 food pantries in Belmont County and everybody thinks everything we have is donated and we just give it out. That couldn’t be further from the truth.
“The rest of it, we’re buying. We buy probably 50-60 gallons of milk (at a time).”
The volunteers from the pantry are routinely going shopping, bringing the items back to the pantry, and positioning it so that its easier for shoppers to find what they need.
Money is needed.
The building that houses the pantry was built in 1997. It needs a new HVAC system as the one in use is the original from the build date. The Council of Churches is looking at replacing it, but that’s a large chunk of change they presently don’t have.
“That’s one of the things we’re looking at, if we don’t have the money, what do we do,” Hinckley-Vaughn said. “We are looking at options, but the Council of Churches isn’t going to go out and have a gun raffle.
“We are looking at a mail campaign.”
For more information, visit the food pantry at the location linked above, or call the 1st Presbyterian Church in town with questions at (740) 695-0690.
