Local food pantries react to COVID-19

By Hannah Bernstein

During this difficult time, many people are losing their mainstream income and ending up dependent on food pantries for food and other resources. At the same time, food pantries like the ACSD and Christ the King Church are reacting to the pandemic and adjusting their work accordingly.

According to Heidi Shaw, ACSD nurse, the ACSD food pantry’s numbers have been higher than normal. “The need in March and April was significantly increased.” However, according to Kim Goldsberry, Athens City School Board member, the numbers have not been a consistent increase post- March.

This is a similar phenomenon observed by AHS senior Tina Zhang. She started working at Christ the King Church’s food pantry over the summer.

According to Zhang, Christ the King provides food for low-income families and individuals inside and outside of the Church. She noticed that a certain amount of food that she was packing has been changing. Sometimes, she had less food to pack in the boxes she had prepared for families; Zhang packed boxes for three families which varied in size. Some families were just a single person, while others were six to seven people.

At the same time due to the pandemic, the food pantries have had to change their routines to follow CDC guidelines. According to Goldsberry, ACSD pantry has switched to a contactless drive-through pantry: volunteers place food and goods into the family’s trunk.

Originally, when people and volunteers came to the ACSD pantry, volunteers prepared and worked in the Chauncey kitchen and a small room filled with pantry goods and cans. Families would check in with Heidi Shaw at the front desk before moving along and picking what they need. In the end, everyone exited through the kitchen doors as other volunteers helped families carry their food to their cars or return the carts families used to tow their produce.

As the ACSD pantry is volunteer-based, Shaw said, “Masks and distancing are priorities. We try to limit volunteers and keep families of volunteers or folks that live in the same house together to limit additional exposure.” The ACSD pantry is also including about 10 masks in their pantry bags according to Goldsberry. The pantry was given the masks for free by the Southeast Ohio Food Bank according to Shaw.

If you would like to support the food pantries, both Zhang and Goldsberry encourage monetary donations so the pantries can purchase what people need like more fresh fruits, veggies, and personal care items.