Isabella County Emergency Food Pantry short on supplies

The Isabella County Emergency Food Pantry is in need of donations to feed an increase in families over the last few months.

The Emergency Food Pantry, a branch of the Red Cross, fed 209 families in July, 222 in August and 210 in September, a 23.74 percent increase from the same months last year.

“About 80 percent of our clientele from the last few months have been first-timers,” said Irene Little, emergency programs coordinator of the Central Michigan Chapter of the Red Cross. “We don’t turn people away. When a new family comes in, we have them fill out a quick application and make a food basket for them.”

She said the pantry deals with families in a case-by-case manner, but tries to limit families to coming once a month as it is for emergencies.

Economic trouble

Kathryn Gusman, supervisor for the Emergency Food Pantry, said the main reason for the increase in needy families is rising unemployment. Michigan has the highest unemployment rate at 15.2 percent this past August. It was 8.6 percent one year prior.

“I would estimate about 60 percent of the new people in the last few months have come in because they lost their jobs,” Gusman said.

She said medical issues also contributed to the increase.

“A lot of people’s health insurance is being dropped, so they have to spend more money on prescription drugs,” she said. “This leaves less money to spend on food and other necessities.”

The food baskets contain about four to five days worth of food.

Little said they are hoping to at least quadruple the number of donations they receive over the next few months.

The Emergency Food Pantry is open from 9 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. Monday through Friday at 215 E. Broadway St., to accept donations. It accepts any kind of non-perishable food donations, personal hygiene products or donations of money to buy perishable foods such as bread and dairy products.

“We would appreciate any kind of donations or volunteers, but our main concern right now is food,” Little said. “We really just want to keep their bellies full.”