When I arrived in Pittsfield, our church’s pantry served around 750 households monthly. Two years later, that number has nearly doubled.
I’m proud of how we’ve been able to step up; I’m horrified we’ve had to.
Many of our folks first came to us because of a crisis — a personal or family medical issue, a job loss, a rent increase. But some of the medical issues took longer than expected to resolve or the new job didn’t pay as much as the old one. Or they got so behind in rent and bills that what seemed like a temporary gap became a chasm.
What our clients taught me is that people have one pocket that they draw from for food, medical care, housing, communication and transportation expenses. When one of those is threatened, they all are.
And many of the programs that had helped have been cut.
I remember the first time we heard from one of our clients in their 70s that the $350 monthly food assistance she received was cut to just $25 — a story we’ve heard from many others since.
I remember the fear in the voice the mother who was trying to feed and care for her kids after both her monthly food assistance and her child care assistance were significantly reduced.
I remember the person so happy that, between Medicare assistance and a new job, he would now be able to get by. And I remember when, two months later, he came back deeper in debt. He was now making too much to receive Medicaid.
We’ve never been able to provide folks with a whole week’s worth of food. Our food was supposed to be a supplement to what they purchased or received by other means. We used to hear how much that amount helped people get by. Now, we hear how the food we share helps people survive.
More and more of our folks are looking noticeably skinnier. Parents are choosing to eat less, so that their children have enough.
Extending our generosity during this season is beautiful and good and often helps people keep the heat on and a roof over their heads during the holidays. But it’s also a time to remember the need to make a larger year-round commitment to serve, give and advocate for a more equitable society where everyone has access to life's essentials.
I look forward to living in a world where we can all be thankful we have enough every day.
Reverend Mike Denton is pastor of the United Church of Christ in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, which founded and houses the South Community Food Pantry.
