By KATHY MELLOTT
JOHNSTOWN — Connie Gossard is struck by the sharp increase in young families with children showing up at the food pantries she oversees.
And Joe Bartko, from Family Kitchen, is seeing more young children being brought in for a free hot lunch.
It’s Thanksgiving week, the time to reflect on the bounty of the year. But for some Johnstown-Somerset residents, things are no better than last year and in many cases much worse.
“It’s busy. It’s very busy,” said Gossard, director of the United Methodist Human Services Ministries of Johnstown.
The food pantry at the Franklin Street United Methodist Church has historically helped a large number of elderly people living in the towers, but a disturbing sign of deep economic problems is the younger ones coming in for food to feed their children.
“We’re seeing more families come in who didn’t come in before. It’s because of job loss or reduced hours. We’re seeing more families, younger families with three or four children,” Gossard said.
The numbers showing up at the Family Kitchen on Bedford Street have historically hovered around 150 to 160 for the free noon meal served seven days a week, Bartko said.
In recent months the numbers have averaged 200 a day and have at times reached 260.
Compounding the problem is the sharp drop the kitchen has experienced in donations.
“It’s pretty slim this year. Donations of food and money are way down,” Bartko said.
“Some people would like to give more, but it’s sparse out there.”
Bartko, Gossard and others who deal daily with those in serious need said a U.S. Department of Agriculture report showing that hunger nationwide has risen significantly is no surprise.
The 2008 report released last week shows that 14.6 percent of U.S. households had difficulty finding enough food at least sometimes, up from 11.1 percent in 2007.
“We’re seeing a lot more people come in for emergency food,” said Cindy Porter, administrative assistant at the Salvation Army on Vine Street.
In past years, seven to 10 emergency food requests were received monthly, Porter said. This year the demand has risen to 40 to 45 per month, she said.
The Salvation Army and others providing Thanksgiving meals are bracing for what may be a record-breaking demand.
For chronically depressed areas, including Johnstown, the need has always been around, said Jim Sestrich, director of Food for Families, the umbrella organization coordinating food distributions to pantries.
“Folks have been needy for many years in Johnstown and Cambria County,” Sestrich said. “The increases for help we’ve seen are with those where both work and can’t get by.”
But as the demand from the needy goes up, so does the number of volunteers turning out to help, said Gary Mosorjak, community outreach director for New Day Inc. of Johnstown.
New Day is hosting five Giving Thanks dinners at locations in Johns-town and Windber on Wednesday.
“Every year the need gets greater, but the volunteer help has just exploded,” he said. “We’re getting calls from families who want to help.”
The need is great for people seeking something to make for dinner that night and something for breakfast the next day. Also on the rise are requests for clothing and help with utility bills, he said.
“We certainly have seen it really increase, it’s really incredible,” Mosorjak said. “People are downtrodden, they’ve lost jobs. People are basically hurting.”
While Steve and Sam Johncola, owners of Nunzio’s Pizzeria, 107 College Park Plaza, don’t help with fuel bills or rent, they are, for the fourth year, opening the doors of their restaurant to feed the needy.
“We always try to give back to the community. We’ve been fortunate.” Steve Johncola said.
“We have all of the facilities and there is a need out there.”
Community Action Partnership for Somerset County - Tableland Services, Inc., which oversees Somerset County’s seven food pantries – has seen a sharp increase in the need for food, but equally disconcerting is the number of people facing eviction and foreclosure.
“We’ve seen a real upswing,” said Tableland executive director Jeff Masterson.
This year’s controversial state budget has added to the dilemma of human service organizations dependent on the state food purchase program for at least some of their pantry funding.
While word is the money is coming from the state any day, food in some Somerset County pantries is low.
“There’s going to be quite a few folks who feel the pinch because of the diminished amount of food quantity that is available,” Masterson said.
Following is a list of some of the free Thanksgiving dinners being served in the Johnstown area:
Today
• Salvation Army, 576 Vine St., 4 to 5 p.m. Ticket pick-up until noon.
Wednesday
Dinners at 5:30 p.m. hosted by New Day Inc. Tickets are free, but must be picked up in advance at Johnstown New Day office or any listed location.
Tickets for the Windber location available at Windber New Day office.
• New Day Inc., 109 South Street, (Kernville).
• Moxham Lutheran Church. 500 Park Ave. (Moxham).
• First Lutheran Church, 415 Vine St. (downtown Johnstown).
• Morrellville Church of the Brethren, 408 Chandler Ave. (West End).
• St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church, 605 Graham Ave., Windber.
Thursday
• 11:30 a.m., Bella’s Pizzeria, 1605 Jefferson Ave., Windber.
• Noon to 2 p.m., First Presbyterian Church, 309 Lincoln St., downtown; for reservation call 536-8141.
• Noon to 1 p.m., Family Kitchen, 231 Bedford St., downtown.
• Noon to 4 p.m., Nunzio’s Pizzeria, 107 College Park Plaza, Johnstown.
Pony rides available for children; free shuttle service, dial 266-6869, leave a message.
