Local food banks facing tough times

The scenery is beautiful, the weather is cool and the holidays are drawing closer. Autumn is undeniably here. While the holidays summon images of food and family, not everyone is lucky enough to have the former. Indeed, with the economy in its current condition, food banks are faring worse than they have in the past. The demand for food has drastically increased, yet the amount of food coming into the banks has not been able to keep up.

According to an article by Mark Spencer in the Hartford Courant, Foodshare, a food bank that provides food to residents in Hartford and Tolland counties, has seen a 30 percent increase in demand this year. Many people who would never have dreamed of going to a food pantry in the past no longer can provide for themselves. It is a difficult time for many, and as a society we must do our part to help one another.

Already, many different organizations are doing what they can by organizing drives and donating. According to Director of Dining Services Dennis Pierce, Dining Services teamed up with Community Outreach five years ago to donate food to Coventry Food Services. In addition, it has been a tradition for 23 years that twice a year - during holiday break and May - perishable foods are sent to other areas' soup kitchens and pantries. Yet these are efforts that have continued throughout the years, and while they have provided plenty of food in the past, the recession has resulted in a need for a more active approach. Group efforts are to be commended, but that does not lessen the responsibilities of the individual.

The vast majority of college students tend to have masses of non-perishable foods lying about in their rooms. Often times, these remain uneaten as the end of the semester approaches. Instead of having broken-up packages of ramen or crumbs of chips and crackers littered about at the end of the year, consider donating them. That Easy Mac that remained buried in the back of the closet could help a family survive the winter season. Uneaten food is not going to be useful to anyone.

It is not much to ask for one person to donate a can of soup, a box of cereal or packages of instant noodles. There are plenty of drop-off areas where students can bring their donations. Residence halls often have boxes where students can bring non-perishable goods so that they can be delivered to food banks. The simple action of driving over to the food bank, or even just dropping off food somewhere, can do so much for someone less fortunate.