You're the first we're telling about this recent client story, a story that is sad but representative of many newcomers we are seeing at River City Community Services. 

 

Lindy, 28 years old, was clearly shaken when she recently explained her situation to our intake volunteer.  She and her husband bought a modest home in a nice neighborhood so that their two-year-old son could eventually attend good neighborhood schools.  They felt pretty confident about the future between her husband's job in a downtown restaurant and hers as an administrative assistant.  Then her life turned upside down.  She was laid off.  The mortgage payment was due and there was only one check to cover the family's expenses. The only place she and her husband could cut corners was on food. At that point they were down to nothing: no bread, no canned goods, no milk, no eggs, no juice. 
 
While the last two months have been hard on all of us, it has been particularly tough for people hanging on to the bottom rungs of the middle class, and for those who have fallen into poverty.  That has given a new urgency to River City Community Services' emergency food assistance program.  Here are five things that have changed for our food closet and clients:
 

1. More people are coming to us to provide adequate food for children.  40% of our clients have children in their households, up from 30% two years ago.
2. More people are coming who are "working poor".  For 38% of our clients, one or more adult in the house is working, but they may have lost one of their jobs (they often have more than one part-time) or had their hours cut.
3. More seniors - especially women - are falling into poverty.  13% of women over 75 are living below the poverty line.  11% of our clients are seniors, and we know there are more out there who need help.
4. Food costs more.  The price of milk has increased 13% in a year; eggs are up 25%.  While many of us can absorb a little sticker shock at the cash register, poor people spend a higher percentage of their income on food.  It hits them harder.
5. More people are coming to us, period - 50% more than two years ago. 

You can see the recurrent theme:  more.  Unfortunately, there is also a "less" theme.  We are getting less in donated food.  We get less for our money - by 35% - when we buy bulk food staples because unit costs have risen rapidly.  And we are fearful that we will receive less in holiday donations, when we normally receive about 35% of our charitable contributions.
 
River City Community Services has been blessed with individual supporters who have helped feed hungry people year in and year out.  We hate to ask for support at a time when everyone is reeling from the bad economic news.  But ask we must... for the children, seniors, men and women who are truly hanging by an economic thread.
 
If you can give, know that your donation will directly provide the most basic of necessities: adequate food.  Here are five impacts of food assistance, which your donation makes possible.  Adequate food...