Even as Massachusetts’ economy reopens, the need for food assistance remains strong, with New England’s largest hunger-relief organization distributing nearly 2 1/2 times more food today than it did before the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
“It’s not going away,” said Cheryl Schondek, senior vice president in charge of food acquisition, supply chain and volunteers at the Greater Boston Food Bank, which distributes food to 190 cities and towns. “We do not see relief in sight.”
Before the pandemic prompted the state to close nonessential businesses in March, one in 13 Eastern Massachusetts residents did not know where their next meal was coming from, Schondek said. Today, one in eight residents are food insecure, she said, and one in six is a child.
“That’s why we do what we do,” Schondek said, “because the need has only grown.”
Before the pandemic, the GBFB distributed 4 million pounds of food each month. Since then, the number has soared to more than 9.5 million pounds in April and 9.7 million in May, she said, and it could reach 10 million this month.
“Even though the state is reopening in a calm, orderly fashion, we have not seen the volume of food we distribute decrease,” Schondek said. “I think 10 million will be our new normal until there’s a vaccine and all businesses are back and can rehire people. I certainly hope I’m wrong. But you still have that fear of what tomorrow is going to bring.”
The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ initial estimate for Massachusetts’ April unemployment rate was 15.1 percent, at the time the state’s highest rate since at least 1976, until the bureau revised that percentage to 16.2. The unemployment rate climbed even higher, to 16.3 percent, in May, the second consecutive month that the state set a record.
In contrast, 38 states and the District of Columbia had lower unemployment rates in May than in April, and eight states were stable.
Only Michigan at 21.2 percent, Hawaii at 22.6 percent and Nevada at 25.3 percent had higher unemployment rates last month than Massachusetts had.
“Pantries are fuller, and clients know they can trust us to give them food,” Schondek said. “Would we like to be a business that goes out of business? Absolutely. But now that we have their trust, we can’t let them down.”
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June 26, 2020 at 05:25AM
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Coronavirus, unemployment leaves more people in need of food assistance - Boston Herald
"assistance" - Google News
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