Rising fuel, food and housing costs are driving more Americans to food banks and shelters to put food on the table for their families this year and Poplar Bluff residents are no exception.
“Last month alone, we fed over 800 families. We count the members in each household so we are (feeding) over 2,300 individuals,” St. Vincent de Paul Society Food Pantry Manager Nereida Santiago-Duncan said.
In October, Duncan said the pantry not only assisted local families in need, they also helped 96 veterans.
“We get a lot of veterans and homeless too,” Duncan said.
Catholic Charities also assists veterans through the St. Vincent ministry.
“They come and help with different programs for the veterans,” said volunteer worker Betty Woods, explaining they have special times set aside to lend a helping hand to veterans.
The food bank for veterans is from 12:30-3:30 p.m. Wednesdays and from 9 a.m. to noon Thursdays. The organization will help families with applying for assistance for food stamps, housing and medical insurance.
“We mainly serve Butler County, but we do get people who are in the middle of moving or homeless and we always try to help them out,” said Duncan.
A common misconception, according to Duncan, is that food banks have an endless amount of food to distribute to those in need.
“We do get a monthly delivery of USDA food, which consists of meats, cereal, canned goods and, if we’re lucky, we get milk and fresh vegetables. We also get a monthly allowance to make other purchases from the SEMO Foodbank,” said Duncan.
The food pantry is dependent upon donations from local businesses and those in the community.
“Tyson Chicken donated 800 chickens, so we’re handing out our normal bags, our normal meat that we give with the food bank, and then we give them an extra chicken. We also had some hams donated by Heartland,” Duncan said shortly before Thanksgiving.
She said larger families of six or more would be the recipients of the donated hams.
The pantry does not just provide food to those in need, they also provide bed rolls, hygiene items and other essentials.
“There is a place in Cape that makes bed rolls. We hand those out to the homeless and we give them a hygiene bag, so we’re always trying to get hygiene items,” said Duncan.
She went on to say they will happily take any donation but “when we get that question — what can we donate — I always say can openers,” said Duncan, who explained that many of those taking the canned food are homeless and have no way to open the cans.
“If you have old sleeping bags, tents, raincoats, ponchos, coats, blankets, we take any of that,” said Duncan.
If you are interested in helping by donating time or needed items, contact Duncan at 573-712-0043. Monetary donations can be sent to St. Vincent De Paul Society Food Pantry C/O Nereida Santiago-Duncan 215 S. Broadway, Poplar Bluff, MO 63901.
This story was edited at 2 p.m., Dec. 1 to correct Duncan's phone number.