Food in high demand at Manna on Main Street, families in need of groceries in Montgomery County
Manna on Main Street seeing high demand for families in need of food in Montgomery County
From the after effects of SNAP benefit cuts to more struggles with food insecurity, Manna on Main Street in Montgomery County is seeing high demands from families in need of food and urges folks to help out especially around the holidays.
Lansdale, P.a. - Between inflation and rising housing costs, many are turning to pantries to get by and food pantries across our area are seeing high demands from families in need of groceries.
The realities of food insecurity have been harsh for families across the country and Southeastern Pennsylvania is no different.
FOX 29’s Shaynah Ferreira spoke to the directors and organizers at Manna on Main Street to get the full grasp on how high the demand for food is.
"For over 18 months now and in fact even longer, we’ve been seeing skyrocketing demand for food in our community," said Sheldon Good, Director of Development and Strategic Direction, Manna on Main Street.
From daily meals to grocery needs, Good said the work that Manna Market and the Manna Kitchen do in the community is crucial.
"In Manna’s Kitchen, where we provide free meals to anyone in need, no questions asked," he said.
Manna's kitchen has doubled the number of meals it prepares for families in need and in the last 18 months, when it comes to groceries, a 40 percent increase in the demand.
"The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated food insecurity."
With the rise in food costs, the impacts of the pandemic are still being felt.
Toys for Tots in desperate need of donations as holiday season quickly approaches
Toys for Tots and other organizations are in desperate need of donations this time of year as they have seen a 30% drop since last year. Volunteers are seeking the public’s help to ensure families can celebrate the holidays.
"A lot of times when you hear people talking about who are using pantries, who are going to soup kitchens, you hear words like ‘poor, hungry and homeless’ but that is a very small minority of people who use our market," said Suzan Gould, Executive Director of Manna on Main Street.
"We are seeing households, working households that come they have children. Sometimes it’s 2 working parents, we see a lot of seniors," she said.
Snap benefits that were cut for millions of families, created another hurdle for folks to get over.
"The average family in Pennsylvania lost $181 a month basically overnight as of March due to federal changes in law dealing with the end of the public health emergency."
This statistic makes the work that Manna on Main Street does, that much more imperative and the need even greater for families, especially around the holidays.