By George Shaw
One of last week’s columns updated the employment and unemployment situation for Wake County. This article is related – it focuses on the impact on our area’s food pantries and feeding programs. It also addresses what the pantries in Wake Forest, Rolesville and Youngsville need as well as how you can help.
The need for food increased dramatically because of the economic dislocations from COVID-19. Our communities responded very generously. Even though the economy continues to improve significantly, the level of food insecurity is probably going to remain high for at least another year.
Economic and Employment Recovery
The economy is expected to recover rapidly through the remainder of 2021. This will cause unemployment to drop from the 4.5% last month to pre-pandemic levels of 3% in Wake County by sometime in 2022. However, this rate understates the likely unemployment rate of 4.0 -4.5% if you include people who have left the workforce.
Job categories paying above-average wages in Wake County fully recovered by September 2020. Employment in sectors paying less than average remain down 4.6% last month compared to the year before. Leisure and Hospitality is the employment sector that pays the lowest wages – employment remains 19% lower in March 2021 than twelve months previously. Last week’s column indicated that 10% of the jobs in this category are likely to be permanently lost.
The Need in Our Communities
More than 15% of the population of Wake County earned less than the poverty level (about $25,000 per family of four annually) or was classified as working poor before COVID-19. This figure is currently 20% or more, both across the county as well as in our area. The population across Zip Code 27587 (Wake Forest), 27571 (Rolesville) and 27596 (Youngsville) is around 40,000 families. That means that the local demand at our pantries and feeding programs is 8,000-10,000 families. Traditionally, 20% or more of the clients at our pantries come from other parts of Wake County. This number of customers coming from up to 75 minutes away from Wake Forest increased significantly during the virus as some government restrictions on access to food across county lines were relaxed. That means that total demand for our food security programs is probably 10,000 or more families a month.
Our roughly dozen local programs distributed food to more than 3,500 clients in March 2020 as the pandemic began its impact. Many of these customers received food more than once a month from the same organization or went to multiple distribution programs. That means that our programs collectively probably distribute to only about 20% of the potential client base.
Federal programs helped cushion the blow on the needy since March 2020. The Paycheck Protection Program (PP) helped businesses keep employees on the payroll even during the lockdown. Stimulus checks gave direct support for several months as did expansion of unemployment benefits and electronic benefit cards for programs such as SNAP. A moratorium on evictions from rental units further lessened impact on the needy. However, as these programs started winding down in July, the demand at area food programs soared. The peak for food insecurity was probably in October 2020.
The Response to the Need
Wake County’s program of more than a dozen food hubs significantly increased supply in the fall. CARES Act funding for the food box program terminated at the end of 2020; Wake County continued funding in 2021 but financial support is eroding and is expected to end by June 30, 2021. This means fewer produce boxes and boxes with a mixture of fresh and shelf-stable food are being purchased to supply the pantries. The federal government will sunset the Farmers to Families food box program at the end of May.
Meanwhile the outpouring of donations of shelf stable food and money to local pantries has been amazing. In addition to gifts from individuals, area grocery stores have been extremely generous. The rising demand was met by the rapid expansion of distribution programs in local communities of need. For example, Raleigh Dream Center distributed 100,000+ meals across our three towns by September 2020. The tractor trailer-size food drops from the Society of St. Andrew distributed 250,000 pounds of watermelon and potatoes last summer including an event at St. Catherine’s last August across the county and beyond. And a partnership with Rise Against Hunger distributed 46,000 pounds of rice to distribution organizations from Wake County through Greensboro last April.
So where do things stand for our pantries and feeding programs? COVID restrictions caused several programs to shut down or reduce their number of days. Roughly 15% of our capacity (500 clients per month) remains out of service. The total number of clients was about 3,600 in March 2021. Although this is relatively flat compared to a year ago, it represents roughly a 20% increase from our existing base of programs. The reduction in capacity for pantries was significantly higher elsewhere. The drop in capacity was 30+% for Wake County and about 40% nationally because of last year’s economic dislocations.
Tri Area Ministry in Wake Forest and Glory Tabernacle in Youngsville responded by increasing their programs on Saturdays. The pantries that have fared best in the last year have robust networks of grocery stores and food distributors supplying them. Richland Creek has expanded their outreach to the Baptist Seminary and other organizations. And many pantries have increased the quantity they are distributing to each client. Many faith-based programs are distributing more to their own congregations. And there is much more sharing of excess quantities of shelf-stable food among the pantries and feeding programs.
The food hub sponsored by the Northern County Food Security Team distributed 480 perishable boxes and 400 non-perishable boxes in March 2021. These represent about 12,000 pounds of food. Their partners report somewhat lower demand in the month of April.
What’s Next?
What is the outlook for the rest of the year? Although lower paying jobs are likely to rebound steadily, many positions in Leisure and Hospitality are unlikely to return. The federal moratorium on evictions has been extended through June 30, 2021. Stimulus checks will continue through September 6, 2021. Unless these programs are extended again, demand at area pantries will probably remain elevated through 2021 and potentially well into 2022.
North Carolina’s Executive Order 209 was issued today and will take effect this Friday. The increase in the number of people who may gather indoors will increase from 50 to 100. Outdoor events will increase from 100 to 200. This will facilitate reopening of pantries. It will also enable us to have large bagging events of sweet or white potatoes in support of food drops. We typically have had 250 to 300 volunteers at these events. This Executive Order expires on June 1. The state anticipates lifting more restrictions at that time.
New Bethel Baptist Church’s pantry in Rolesville is likely to resume a full schedule in the next several months as will Hope House in Wake Forest. The new Seventh Day Adventist Church in Wake Forest had their first food and clothing distribution event on April 24. They plan to have similar events regularly.
Society of St. Andrew plans an expansion of their food drop program with continued focus on Wake County and the Triangle Area. They are expecting 40,000-pound drops of white and sweet potatoes, green beans and then watermelons from now through October. The programs in our area will probably receive 15,000 or pounds per month from this initiative. The plan is to have these events spread around Wake County to allow equal access for the county’s food hubs and pantries. We expect to host 2-3 of these events in Wake Forest. The produce is donated; there will be a cost of $2,000-2,500 per event to pay for transportation, bags as well as rental of equipment such as forklifts.
What Can You Do To Help?
o Donate shelf stable food and hygiene products. Many local organizations have donation drives. You can also drop these off at local pantries.
o Donate money. Funds are often more useful than supplies as pantries can fill in gaps in canned goods or purchase fresh produce.
o Volunteer at distribution events. There are currently constraints at most food distribution partners but today’s Executive Order will facilitate having more volunteers.
o Drive. Many pantries need help picking up food. There is a particular need to bring produce back from the Society of St. Andrew drops.
o Grow. If you have a veggie garden, why not grow an extra row and donate it to a local pantry.
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There is a report from Tri-Area Ministry in this week’s edition.
