ELYRIA — The Elyria Salvation Army is often the last resort for those needing food, but nearly bare shelves have the food pantry itself feeling the pangs of hunger.

Doling out emergency food rations to families four days a week, every week is taking its toll on the nonprofit organization. As result, Program Director Dale

Jones said an immediate community food drive is needed to keep pantry doors open.

“The food pantry is a supplemental program by design. It’s not supposed to support a family,” Jones said. “Yet, we are seeing more people, the same people coming in month after month for assistance.”

The last large food drive to support the pantry was held in May by local postal carriers who yearly join forces to “Stamp out Hunger.”

Jones had thought the food would last for six months.

Less than four months ago, pallets of nonperishable food items filled a back storeroom and an outside storage shed, but now, a single restaurant-size can of tapioca pudding is the only thing that remains.

And, as for the food pantry itself, most of what remains are ingredients — sugar, salt, flour and syrups — not full-meal-making products.

“When you see the shelves getting low and you know you can’t put that much in each bag, it makes you feel a little depressed,” said Mike Velez, a Salvation Army employee who helps to maintain the food pantry.

Jones said the Salvation Army usually helps about 250 families each month, but every month, that number has increased by 10 or 15.

Contact Lisa Roberson at 329-7121 or lroberson@chroniclet.com. 

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