Stocking Up Is Impossible When You Lack Enough for Today: Food Banks Struggle as Coronavirus Crisis Intensifies

On its surface, this might seem like responsible behavior since the CDC is advising people in high risk categories to stock up on essentials, but while the financially secure may be able to amass six months worth of toilet paper and a year’s worth of rice, people who live paycheck to paycheck don’t have that luxury. They are forced to wait until payday to make their purchases. As much as they may want to take the CDC’s advice, it isn’t an option for everybody. This is where your local food bank could really use your help; they are stretched already, as those who rely on them face fresh stresses.

I understand what it’s like to be in this predicament. I was once a single mother living in poverty.  Stocking up on essentials was impossible. I barely had enough money for food as it was. There were days I kept my eyes peeled for change on the sidewalk because I didn’t even have enough money for a day-old loaf of bread. Buying extra food or toilet paper was out of the question. 

Not only is it impossible for someone living paycheck to paycheck or in poverty to stockpile items, they also have the added challenge of being unable to find essentials such as toilet paper because they’re being hoarded by the financially fortunate.  

Carmen Smith, the associate director of the White Center Food Bank in Seattle, says they are already feeling the effects of overzealous stockpiling. Last week, many first-time customers came to the facility because they were unable to find the provisions they needed at their local grocery store. 

Smith says they are working hard to make sure they are available to the community without compromising safety. “We are sanitizing the food bank and public areas before, during, and after each distribution as well as each public surface, like carts and counters before, during, and after each visit. Volunteers and staff are asked to keep good hygiene practices like frequently cleaning hands and avoid touching faces. We’ve made informational flyers available to our customers in five languages. We are asking ill customers to wait in their car and a staff person will shop on their behalf based on the customer’s food preferences.”

Not only have hoarding and empty shelves led to an increase in customers and higher demands on staff at the food bank, but it’s also resulted in a decrease in donations from area grocery stores.  Smith explains, “After chatting with the receiving manager at one of the stores, they were completely wiped out earlier in the week, which is why our donations are down.” Grocery stores can’t donate when their stores are depleted. 

Scarcity is only the beginning of the challenges a national health emergency presents to those without adequate resources. Approximately 300 million children aren’t in school due to closures related to the coronavirus and this number will likely rise as the number of diagnosed cases increases. In a country where 30 million children rely on the free or reduced priced meals  they receive at school to meet their basic nutritional needs, this could have a devastating impact on financially vulnerable families who need to find another way to feed their children.  

Unfortunately, families with school-aged children aren’t the only ones suffering. People are staying home as much as possible, avoiding restaurants and other gathering places in an attempt to avoid contracting the virus. In many cases, these are common-sense precautions, especially for the elderly or those who have compromised immune systems, but it’s important to recognize that these precautions will have repercussions on small businesses, service workers, and financially vulnerable people in your community. The longer this goes on, the more devastating this impact will be. 

40 percent of American adults lack even $400 in savings for emergencies. Many of them will be put to the test in the near future. It will be a test for the rest of us, as well. How we protect each other and look after our neighbors in this moment of crisis will define us as a country. 

Poverty isn’t a hole people fall into. It’s a snowball. It starts small and keeps growing as it picks up momentum. When you live paycheck to paycheck, even a small loss of income can cost you your job because you don’t have enough money for gas or bus fare to get to work. An unexpected expense can mean choosing between feeding your family or paying for electricity. Juggling bills leads to late fees which put you even further behind than you already were. The snowball keeps getting bigger and sometimes you can’t stop it on your own.   

One of the best ways we can help each other through difficult times is to make sure that nobody goes hungry.  

According to the most recent report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, over 11 percent of households were food insecure at some point during the year 2018 and Feeding America, the largest hunger relief organization in the country, reports that 1 in 7 Americans rely on their network of food banks. Smith expects these numbers to increase as the coronavirus pandemic continues. “We are expecting folks to use our resources due to lack of options at stores as well as financial impacts the coronavirus might have on their families.” 

Food banks will need your help in order to keep up with demand. Smith says there is a particular need for, ”Non-expired food donations, shelf-stable food items such as oil, coffee, rice, soy sauce, sugar, chicken stock, tomato paste, dates, and pop-top canned items like meat, soups, fruit, vegetables.” She adds, “Hand sanitizer, toilet paper, and any disinfecting cleaning supplies are also incredibly helpful.” If you have an excess of these supplies on hand, please consider donating them to your local food bank. 

Perhaps the best way to support your food banks, however, is for those who can afford it, to donate cash. Food banks purchase in bulk, which means that a dollar in their hands will buy more food than a dollar you spend on your own.  According to Feeding America, they can provide at least 10 meals for every dollar you donate. This means even the smallest donations make a big difference. 

The financial toll of the coronavirus is just beginning to be felt. It’s too early to know how long it will last or what the outcome will be, but it is a certainty that it has already started to have an impact on financially vulnerable people in our country. There is so much to worry about in this world. No one should have to worry about having access to food or toilet paper. If we work together to support our local food banks, we can help ensure that no one does.

• Find your local food bank: Search at Feeding America

We’d love to hear your perspectives on how stocking up looks in your neighborhood. Have you struggled to cover basic needs? Do you have other suggestions of ways to help those less equipped for a health crisis?