WALLINGFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — The COVID-19 outbreak is having a domino effect on food pantries like Master’s Manna in Wallingford. While the pantry is giving more food, donations have slowed.
Gail Powell says they’ve never seen anything like it before. She is the Administrative Services Director with Master’s Manna.
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Powell explained to News 8 Tuesday, the everyday person who usually writes a check donation to the pantry, right now, doesn’t know when they, themselves, will get their next paycheck. And that has adversely affected pantries across the state.
Growing unemployment is causing the need for food to spike.
Powell said, “We are seeing people who have never had to rely on a food pantry before.”
Hundreds of cars pull up weekly for food donations, but the need is greater now more than ever.
Certain foods in grocery stores that are typically left over have become scarce. Powell added, “We are not getting the meats and the fish and the chicken we used to get because there’s been so much panic buying in the stores.” Supermarket donations are coming in smaller amounts.
Lisa Teodosio with Master’s Manna said, “We average anywhere from 500-1,000 pounds-a-day, three-times-a- week from Bjs. Just for example, the amount has gone down to anywhere from 50-100.”
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Master’s Manna needs donations to keep running. They say a little goes a long way.
Teodosio said, “If you ever find yourself in a situation where you’ve overbought please just come through and literally drop it on the ground. You don’t have to talk to us you don’t have to touch anything. We are so grateful.”
To find out more about Master’s Manna and where you can donate: http://www.mastersmanna.org/ways-to-give/paypal/
