Food pantry client numbers up, donations down

With the rising gas and food prices, more and more middle-class families are turning to food pantries for supplies. And one food pantry is having a hard time keeping up. At the Center for Food Action,

News 12 Staff

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May 5, 2008, 10:50 PM

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Updated 6,159 days ago

With the rising gas and food prices, more and more middle-class families are turning to food pantries for supplies. And one food pantry is having a hard time keeping up.

At the Center for Food Action, donations are down while client numbers are up 20 percent since January.

Pantry spokeswoman Jennifer Rothman says many of her clients are middle-class families from places such as Wayne, Ridgefield and Saddle River.

?People don?t have the money, so they?re coming to us,? Rothman says. ?People don?t have money to donate, so they?re donating less.?

Rothman added that pantry has seen the greatest decrease in donations of high-protein items, such as tuna fish and meats.

Englewood resident Cheryl DeRosa, a first-time Center for Food Action client, says with food and gas prices at record highs, her paycheck isn?t enough to pay for the food her family needs.

Centerfor Food Action201-569-1804,Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. After hours, you can leave a message at extension 25 orextension 28