Friendship House News.
Good things are happening here.
Vol. 3 Issue 3 April 2023
A Perfect Storm, A Strong Response
Inflation, food shortages, a slowing economy and a cut in benefits have increased the need for food assistance across the country as well as locally in Middlesex and the surrounding communities.
In March 2023, the Friendship House Food Pantry saw 508 visits - the highest number of Food Pantry visits in any time in its history. Along with a soaring number of visits, 59 new families came to the Food Pantry for the first time during the month.
Beginning in March, cuts in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP will impact more than 30 million people who are enrolled in the program, according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The reductions are due to the end of so-called emergency allotments, which bolstered food-stamp benefits at the start of the pandemic as all Americans struggled with widespread disruption to the economy. While the country is more stable than in 2020, households are now struggling with high food costs. Groceries were about 11.3% higher in January than a year earlier – making the timing of the SNAP cuts particularly challenging. Research shows that 1 in 10 Americans live in a food-insecure household.
“We definitely see that families are struggling, " says Craig Carr, Food Pantry Manager. “We’ve seen a lot of new people coming in for help. One mother with 4 children said that her food stamps were cut over $200 leaving her with $29 a month. When she came in to sign up she was in tears.” he recalled.
The national trend towards a greater need for food support is playing out in our local community. So far in 2023, the Food Pantry has had 1,242 visits. This number represents the visits to the Food Pantry only. Visits to the Bread Shed continue and are usually in excess of another 200 visits per month. In comparison to the same months in 2022, this represents a 39% increase in visits to the Food Pantry alone.
Friendship House welcomes people in need of food and had expected an increase in need. Planning for more visits includes more frequent stocking of shelves, evaluating our Food Link purchases and making use of our new freezer to stock more frozen items along with some new offerings.
“We want people to know that if they are struggling to put nutritious food on their table, we are here to help. There are no financial requirements or evaluations to visit the pantry for food” comments Craig. People are welcome to come to the Food Pantry. Information needed on a first visit includes a home Zip Code and the number of people in the household (children, adults and over 60 years of age). The selection of food changes based on availability and the size of the family dictates the amount of a particular item that can be taken. The Food Pantry also has a limited supply of personal care items available.
Friendship House Food Pantry is determined that each person arriving at our door, receives the food assistance they need.
New Freezer in Use
The Food Pantry is making good use of the new walk-in freezer. More frozen items will be stocked and every two weeks, there will be different items made available. Keep watch for details on our Facebook and Instagram pages.
The $7 Bag Sale is Back!
The Thrift Shop $7 Bag Sale is back. Starting Wednesday, April 12th and running through Saturday, April 15th, stop by the Thrift Shop and fill a bag with clothes and shoes for one low price. We have a plentiful clothing selection for adults and children. We provide the bag, you fill it and it’s just $7 at checkout. Don’t miss this first great sale of the season!
“I’m an excellent driver.”
Some may remember this great line from the 1989 Academy Award winning movie “Rainman”. Surprisingly, the main character in the movie learned to “drive slow on the driveway”.
As there are more people than ever visiting the Friendship House, the driveway can become pretty busy. Cars share the drive and parking areas with pedestrians old and young, our volunteers, bicycles, trucks and horse & buggy teams. Even when the Thrift Shop and Pantry are closed, people visit the Bread Shed. We urge you to be like “Rainman” and drive slow on the driveway. Thank you for being an excellent driver!
Pop-Up Shop - Summer Clothes
Friendship House Thrift Shop hits the road and sets up shop at the Rushville United Methodist Church for another “Pop-Up” Shop! The sale will be on May 19th and 20th from 9am - 3pm. There will be dozens of boxes of brand new summer clothing for the whole family; shorts, tees, socks and underwear. Get the whole family outfitted for summer at an amazingly affordable price. And while you’re getting great deals - our Food Pantry is able to buy more food with the proceeds of the sale. Great deals, new summer clothing and doing something good for others - all in one amazing sale. Mark your calendars and don’t miss the Friendship House Thrift Shop Pop-Up Shop!
Visiting the Bread Shed?
With the steep rise in families needing food, it is important now more than ever to look out for each other.
Friendship House is happy to be able to stock the Bread Shed with a selection of food for when the Food Pantry is closed. It’s important for this stock of food to serve as many families as possible. So that’s why we rely on the honor system; take just what your family needs.
Let your need and your conscience guide you. We rely on all our families that visit to show respect and courtesy to others who also need food support. Thank you for helping us feed as many families as we can.
We’re Here to Help
Keep us in mind if you know of someone needing Emergency Help.
Our staff and volunteers can pull together everything from food to clothing and housewares in an emergency and everything is given free.
Keep our number handy just in case. We’re ready for your call.
Friendship House of Middlesex
585-554-6056
Support Appreciated
With increased need in the community for food support, Friendship House appreciates your support. There are several ways to be part of our support team.
First, stop in and do a little shopping in the Thrift Shop. Proceeds from the Thrift Shop sales enable purchase of food for the Pantry. Find a great bargain for yourself and in doing so you help buy food for the Pantry.
If you have the ability to make a donation, we spend it wisely. For every $1 donated, we can provide 3 meals - $5 helps us provide 15 meals. Whether you shop or make a donation, every little bit helps!
National Volunteer Month
Friendship House is grateful to have a dedicated team of volunteers and we are proud of what they accomplish. Friendship House literally would not exist without hours of volunteer time. Volunteers help make trips to Wegmans and Walmart to pick up donations nearly every day of the week and then unload, sort, stack and stock the shelves in the Food Pantry. In the Thrift Shop volunteers sort and manage donations, keep the racks of clothing organized, stock the shelves with new merchandise, and plan special events.
Even though Friendship House is open three days a week, volunteers are there almost every day working behind-the-scenes. In 2022, this team of volunteers gave 10,387 hours of their time to Friendship House.
For their hours of service, camaraderie, and friendship, we applaud them. Friendship House is in good hands and we could not be more fortunate.
“Seek always to do some good, somewhere. You must give some time to your fellow man. For remember, you don’t live in a world all your own. Your brothers are here too.
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