Annual food donations fall short of groups’ goals

Meanwhile, the number of Frederick families that the food bank serves a month has increased from nearly 370 last year to more than 400 this year.

McAleavy estimated that the donations from the Boy Scouts ‘‘Scouting for Food” drive might last until January.

The Frederick food bank is one of eight food banks under the Religious Coalition for Emergency Human Needs. The Community Action Agency operates the Frederick food bank.

‘‘[All the food banks] need financial contributions and food,” said the Rev. Brian Scott, executive director of the Religious Coalition. ‘‘This is really a basic survival issue.”

Every fall, Frederick County Boy and Cub Scouts blanket neighborhoods with donation bags for residents to fill with canned or dry non-perishable goods. After a week, the Scouts pick up the filled bags and drop them off at the Religious Coalitions’ network of food banks. Last year, The Scouts collected nearly 36 tons of food.

Donations from the Scouting for Food drive are expected to fill the food bank’s shelves from November to May, McAleavy said. The food bank then relies on donations from the post office’s food drive to last until November. The number of donations from the post office’s drive also dropped this year from 13,000 pounds of food to 6,000, McAleavy said.

McAleavy and Scott speculated on the question of why donations have declined, and said that one potential reason is that many people are losing their jobs and can’t afford to buy extra food.

Realistically, grocery bills are the only thing that people can cut back on, McAleavy said.

Families and individuals are supposed to use food banks for emergencies, but McAleavy said she sees many elderly residents and people on a fixed-income waiting in line.

The food bank does not turn away anyone. On a typical visit to the food bank, a family of four receives 32 food items of canned meat, vegetables and fruit and extra side items like rice, pasta or beans. The food items are meant to supplement a family’s pantry, McAleavy said.

This Thanksgiving, every family received a frozen turkey purchased from Giant Eagle. McAleavy said she bought 350 turkeys for nearly $5,000.

In preparing food donations, Scott and McAleavy said it should contain food that is nutritious and could provide for a well-balanced meal. Pasta sauce, side dishes, fruit, veggies, rice and pasta are in particular need.

The food banks are still taking donations and are willing to partner with schools, community groups and businesses to organize food drives.

‘‘The more people we get participating, the better,” Scott said.

To find a food bank

For a list of food bank locations and hours, visit www.thereligiouscoalition.org⁄events.html.