Long Lines at Hunger Agencies:
Situation Only Getting Worse

Aired August 31, 1999

This is INFOhio After Nine for the 31st day of August, 1999. I'm David C. Barnett, welcoming you to the program this morning. Food banks in the greater Cleveland area have expanded their services and are even hopping at a greater and greater rate. A new study indicates that many of the nation's poorest families are in worse shape than ever, before welfare began. Additionally, the report suggests the decline is especially harsh if the families have children. The study was conducted by the non-profit group, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. In Cleveland, you don't necessarily need a study to tell you things have gotten worse. 90.3's Lee Garnett says that all you have to do is look at area hunger agencies, where the lines have gotten longer for food.

Lee Garnett–Business is booming at Cleveland's Food Bank, which distributes bulk food to area soup kitchens. Vans and trucks jam the parking lot. This warehouse itself is about the size of a school gymnasium, yet it empties and fills every month. The food here comes from a variety of sources. Some of it is surplus from the Federal Agriculture Department, some are the result of commercial flops. For instance, there are dozens of cases of failed orange juice product. This day, stacks and stacks of odd food items are piled to the ceiling, items donated by people who recently toured the Browns' new football stadium. Andrea St. Claire is marketing director for the Food Bank. She says the bank will set a distribution record this year.

Andrea St. Claire–We are seeing a demand and it's hard for us to quantify that demand because we're not the ones on the front line that are doing it. We are seeing a continual increase in the amount of food that we're distributing.

LG–To many observers, this should not be the case if welfare reform is really working. This is a busy day for Father Eldon Reichard. He's getting ready for the monthly food giveaway at St. Alouiscious Catholic Church, directing volunteers who stack the food items. He's noticed that more people are showing up at the charity this year, Father Reichard is troubled by news reports implying that state agencies are pleased that welfare rolls are shrinking.

Eldon Reichard–To pray that the caseload of these social works has gone down, where are these people that are cut off of this place here, wonderful-just the fact that they don't go down there anymore to the caseworker, doesn't mean they necessarily have a job. It just means they're lost, they don't know what they're doing.

LG–But the Roman Catholic priest is really worried about what will happen when welfare reform's three-year limitation takes effect in October of 2000. At that point, thousands of people could lose their benefits. Yet, Father Reichard is skeptical that he's handing out more food as a result of welfare reform, he thinks it's more connected to an inner-city economy that's starting to decline again. But most critics of welfare reform believe there is a direct connection between reform measures and longer food lines. Max Findberg is an aide to Congressman Tony Hall, a Dayton Democrat. He's been working with Hall since the congressman went on a 22-day hunger strike. Hall went without food to protest the elimination of a congressional committee on hunger. Findberg believes that food banks are being stretched because they're serving people even after they've gotten off welfare and gotten into a job. He says many of them could still qualify for food stamps.

Max Findberg–They are being discouraged, either directly and illegally or inadvertently, from applying for food stamps, which was never meant as a welfare income support program, so much as a nutritional assistance program.

LG–Findberg says Congressman Hall has introduced a bill to double USDA purchase of commodities for food banks. He says states such as Ohio that have huge surpluses of federal welfare funds should put the money in a bank.

MF–A rainy-day fund is almost mandatory. It's hard for me to fathom how people could ignore the regular business cycles, the upturns and the downturns, and realize that now is a great time to put aside for when the next recession comes and all of these folks aren't doing as well as they can.

LG–Findberg assisted Congressman Hall in putting together a national food bank survey earlier this year. It found that 87% of food banks have experienced an increased demand for services this year. Hall says that's a shame. He says food is the cheapest investment to make welfare reform work. For INFOhio, I'm Lee Garnett in Cleveland.