Need for food, help up dramatically in RI

PROVIDENCE—A new report about hunger in Rhode Island says the need for food assistance is the greatest it has been in a decade.

The Rhode Island Community Food Bank says from September 2008 to August 2009, emergency food programs served more than 13 million meals, an increase of 30 percent over the previous year.

The report said 11.7 percent of Rhode Island households are considered food insecure, which means they’ve had to reduce food intake or skip meals. It says 4.2 percent of households have run out of food or experienced hunger.

At the St. Vincent de Paul food pantry in Cranston, volunteers pack up food three days each week for those who need it, like Robin Schiavulli, a single mother of two.

“It’s just a big help for us. Like the end of the month, when you’re running low on cash, they’re here for you. They give you meats. They give you staples,“ said Schiavulli.

Schiavulli is not alone. The number of Rhode Islanders relying on soup kitchens and food pantries like this one are on the rise.

The Rhode Island Community Food Bank said the number of households experiencing hunger is up more than 50 percent from a decade ago. CEO Andrew Schiff said the survey was conducted in December 2008 and that 20,000 more Rhode Islanders have lost their jobs since then.

Food bank officials said donations of food and money have continued to be generous and that they’ve been able to keep up with the demand from a growing population.

“We’re seeing many, many new clients coming to food pantries, families that never needed assistance before. And we’re seeing more and more families with children in need of help,“ Schiff said.

Officials said that’s the case at St. Vincent de Paul, where they’re seeing new faces every day, most of them families.

“The economy’s terrible. I can’t afford to pay for food every month for my children. I am on food stamps too. It’s just a big help for us,“ a recipient said.

As for the federal food stamp program, now known as SNAP, participation in Rhode Island grew by nearly 30,000. But advocates said a lot of eligible families still aren’t getting help because of a lack of state workers to process the applications, which is done through the state Department of Human Services.

The state has a hiring freeze in place, so it’s unclear when the backlog will ease.