Rural Butler County food banks deal with added demand, logistical challenges
As food pantries in northern Butler County aim to battle food insecurity and fill the plates in places like Slippery Rock, Chicora and West Sunbury, these rural operations face their own challenges.
Five food pantries — the Feed My Sheep food pantry in Slippery Rock, the Petroleum Valley Food Cupboard in Petrolia, Chicora Commons in Chicora, Portersville Food Pantry in Portersville, and the Moniteau Area Food Pantry in West Sunbury — are faced with many of the same issues, which include higher-than-normal demand for food, logistical struggles, and coping with the social stigma that comes with accepting food from a food bank.
“I think people are going to food pantries now because they have to, and because in a lot of cases there are no real other options available for them,” said Sandra Curry, executive director of the Butler County-based nonprofit Community Partnership, which operates the Butler County Food Bank and helps supply food for pantries across the county.
Curry said, unlike in times past, many people who use the food pantries are employed and “just can't make ends meet.”
Across the county, those who operate food banks and food pantries say that demand for the services has increased to varying degrees in recent years, she said.
“Demand absolutely has gone up,” Curry said, citing inflation as a key driver in demand. “Depending on the month, it’s gone up 300% to 500% year-over-year.”
Economically disadvantaged residents are forced to make difficult choices over what bills to pay over others, she said.
“Utilities have gone up; rent has gone up. Everything has gone up,” Curry said. “When your income doesn't change, but your costs go up, then you’re forced to make choices about where you spend that income. And so for a lot of people, they’re choosing to spend that income on what they have to.”
Pastor John Pistorius, who organizes both the Petroleum Valley Food Cupboard and Chicora Commons, sees a spike in those seeking services, too, and likewise said he believes inflation is a factor.
“The financial strain is almost unbearable for some people,” Pistorius said.
The number of people accessing food banks and food pantries in Butler County, he suggests, would be even higher were it not for the social stigma and shame that prevents otherwise-eligible families from using those services.
Both Pistorius and Curry say that this stigma is something that their organizations continually try to overcome.
“We’ve met with a lot of resistance, because some people don't like the idea that those who need food are going to come into their neighborhood or their community. I hate to say it, but it’s the truth,” Pistorius said. “The stigma keeps people from using the food cupboard, and it has other people unhappy that we even operate a food cupboard.”
Adding to residents’ dependency on food pantries is the lack of full-service grocery stores in the northern part of Butler County.
“There's just one in Slippery Rock, the Giant Eagle, and that's really it,” Curry said. “The folks that we've talked to at our food pantry distributions ... the only places they have available to them for day-to-day shopping is a Dollar Tree, and they don't want to shop there; they shop there because they have to.”
Pistorius pointed to the travel time associated with grocery shopping. It adds to the barrier for residents with financial constraints.
“Traveling to the nearest store takes some people 30 to 45 minutes, regardless of where they shop,” Pistorius said. “The cost of fuel, coupled with poor road conditions and higher vehicle mileage causes additional vehicle maintenance. These additional costs also factor in to the cost of food.”
Carol Lambert, who organizes Feed My Sheep, said the volunteers at that particular pantry often transport food to those who need it. While some recipients at the Feed My Sheep pantry receive their food by walking up, most are unable to make the trip and instead have their food delivered.
“Most of our clients are older or handicapped and do not have a way to get to the pantry,” Lambert said. “So we have to find volunteers who are willing to deliver to some of these people.”
Lambert estimates that the pantry regularly delivers to between 12 and 14 families in their area.
“Transportation is the biggest problem for our clients to get to us, or finding enough volunteers who are willing to drive and deliver food,” Lambert said.
Community Partnership supplies at least some of the food distributed at more than 30 food pantries in Butler County through its food bank program. However, the food pantries in the northern part of the county receive food from other sources, too.
The nonprofit expanded from serving 28 to 33 food pantries over the past year, and another two soon will be added.
“Demand absolutely has gone up, but I would say our pantry network has handled it extremely well,” Curry said. “There have been situations where some of them have been very light on food, but they have responded magnificently.”
Both Petroleum Valley and Feed My Sheep also heavily use the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, the pantry organizers noted.
“We can buy from them in bigger quantities cheaper than we can buy at the local grocery store,” Lambert said.
Petroleum Valley also receives assistance from the Chicora post office and some local churches, while Feed My Sheep receives considerable donations from the public, including students from nearby Slippery Rock University.
“We live in a very generous community, and the community supports us, so we’ve been able to keep ourselves stocked,” Lambert said. “The sororities and fraternities often have food drives. The athletic teams often have food drives and donate a lot of canned goods to us.”
