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Local food banks feeling inflation pressure By Kevin Opsahl Jan 02, 2023 12:30 AM A A Hundreds of bags of food donations are unloaded from awaiting cars at ACCESS in Medford. [Mail Tribune / file photo] People have it in their hearts to give, but how much can they afford to share in 2022? Less than usual, according to some local food banks, including ACCESS. ACCESS reported a 30% drop in donations at its annual holiday drive in December along Greystone Court in east Medford, known for its Christmas light displays. Gracie Solis, ACCESS’ marketing and communications supervisor, guessed inflation is partly to blame. “We’re not totally sure,” Solis said of the decline “However, we’re just grateful that people were still able to come out and give what they could.” She was referring to the pre-Christmas event, where ACCESS was still able to collect 6,740 pounds of food and raise $20,809 with a match from Asante. Those donations will allow ACCESS to provide more than 10,000 meals. “I think everybody’s spirits were really high,” Solis said of the Greystone Court drive. “We had a great time standing out there, and we got a lot of visitors and a lot of smiles. It just made us feel really good about our work and what we’re doing.” Ashland Emergency Food Bank is experiencing its own challenges. Its executive director, Amey Broeker, said a third of her food bank’s products come from Ashland Food Project’s green bag program. That program does six pickups a year, and Ashland Emergency Food Bank receives 25,000 pounds of food each time from it, she estimates. “Food Angels” bringing products from local grocery stores also provide for the emergency food bank. What’s more, Ashland Emergency Food Bank personnel undertakes its own efforts to pick up food from grocery stores to use for the bank. That method has been a big driver for the food bank. “We have transitioned from an organization that distributed almost wholly food donated to now purchasing at least a third of the food that we distribute. I can tell you it’s between $15,000 and $20,000 worth of food per month,” Broeker said. The amount of donations have been difficult to track because the agency is transitioning to a new software system, but Broeker said she is certain donations have been down since the pandemic. That was partly due to the Green Bag program slowing down its community outreach due to COVID-19. “It’s not that people are not participating. I think it had more to do with circumstances,” Broeker said. She said she believes Ashland Emergency Food Bank was down 15% in donation for the December pickup. She agreed it may be because of the same challenges ACCESS is experiencing. “Food is a lot more expensive,” Broeker said. “It’s a challenge,” Broeker said, “because, of course, now that we’re purchasing so much food, the money that we are spending is not buying as much food. So the economy, the food inflation, is very real for us.” But, she noted, it’s also real for people who visit Ashland Emergency Food Bank. “It means we have a whole lot more people who are showing up at our door for the first time,” Broeker said. She is hopeful 2023 will be better. “We’re seeing a lot of participation in terms of people supporting us,” Broeker said. “People are being as generous as they can be. It gives you great faith in humanity.” One of the ACCESS food pantries, located in Talent, reported its food donations were up during a December drive. The food pantry saw 3,825 pounds of food come in compared with 3,180 pounds for October. That was thanks to Talent Food Project, one of the Neighborhood Food Projects set up to collect food in local cities on the second Saturday of even-numbered months. “It was a bad weather day, and we were just expecting a really low turnout,” Tammy Wilder, manager of the Talent Food Pantry, said of the December collection. “It turned out to be one of the highest ever. I don’t know what to attribute it to other than pure December generosity.” Wilder has seen a lot of people not affiliated with Neighborhood Food Project come drop off food at the Talent Food Pantry. She is thankful for those donations because there are so many people who need food. “They’re getting to the point where they really need free food because what they’re making doesn’t make ends meet like it did a year ago,” Wilder said. “It’s upsetting to people to have to come to a food bank.” She tells those people they “are not alone.” Reach reporter Kevin Opsahl at 541-776-4476 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @KevJourno.