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As it did last year to minimize risk from COVID-19, local union members this spring collected money to give to area food banks, rather than relying on letter carriers to pick up donated canned and boxed food door-to-door, as they'd done for the previous 28 years.
Last year, union members under the auspices of the Blair-Bedford Central Labor Council collected $5,000 to divvy up among five food banks.
This year, the members collected twice as much: giving $2,000 each to St. Vincent de Paul Assumption Chapel Food Pantry, the Altoona Food Bank, St. Vincent de Paul Food for Families Soup Kitchen, Sacred Heart Food Pantry and REAPING Food Pantry, according to Bob Kutz, Labor Council president.
More than 20 unions and more than 30 individuals combined to give the $10,000, Kutz said recently -- prior to a check presentation to food bank representatives at the council hall, attended by Rick Bloomingdale, president of the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO.
"It was amazing to get that amount," said Mandi Leberfinger, director of REAPING.
"More than we ever thought," said Sr. Pauline Kawtoski of Food for Families.
"Awesome," said Evanna Walter, president of the Altoona Food Bank. The Altoona Food Bank relies entirely on donations, as it gets no government funding, Walter said.
REAPING
Food banks like REAPING can make donations like the money from the union members go a long way, due to major discounts it receives on purchases, according to Leberfinger.
REAPING orders much of its food through Feeding America, a non-profit network of food banks that feeds more than 46 million people through pantries, kitchens, shelters and other agencies, according to Leberfinger and an online source.
REAPING generally pays 18 cents per pound for meat of any type, cereal, pasta and canned goods -- although selection is limited to what happens to be available, according to Leberfinger.
The organization gets a box of food for $2 or $3 that might cost $20, $30 or $40 for its equivalent at the supermarket, she said.
The organization might pay $2.50 for a 12-box case of cereal, she said.
REAPING orders from a Feeding America clearinghouse in Harrisburg and picks up what it orders at the St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry on Adams Avenue, Leberfinger said.
The price for REAPING is even better -- free -- at its other food source, the Walmart distribution center in Bedford County, Leberfinger said.
REAPING, which is associated with the First Baptist Church of Altoona, doesn't get government help, so it doesn't screen recipients for income -- although the state requires it to keep records, Leberfinger said.
Before COVID-19, the organization tailored the amount it distributed to recipients based on family size, but since COVID-19, it has provided every family with the same thing: a medium-sized tote with dry goods and a large tote with produce and meats.
"It's quite a bit of food," Leberfinger said.
Recipients can come as frequently as every two weeks, she said.
REAPING doesn't restrict recipients from also getting food from other agencies, Leberfinger said.
Food for Families
Because of COVID-19, Food for Families has been distributing its hot midday meals in takeout portions to recipients in cars, rather than in its dining hall, according to Kawtoski. In January, at the height of the pandemic, the organization was serving as many as 300 people a day, she said.
More recently, that number had declined to 230 to 260, Kawtowski said.
Sr. Paula DelGrosso, who founded and still directs the operation, plans to go back to the old way, with indoor dining -- although the organization could retain outdoor deliveries to recipients in vehicles. But she won't make changes until she's sure she can get it right, she said.
"I'm not going to rush," she said.
There are a variety of factors to consider.
Delivering takeout meals in cars helps recipients who struggle with mobility avoid a trip inside, and it allows them to take meals home to spouses who may be disabled, DelGrosso said.
Conversely, indoor dining provides recipients with fellowship. Providing meals inside now, with some COVID-19 restrictions still in place, could require spacing, reducing the capacity of the room, DelGrosso said.
And indoor guidelines could change, if pandemic conditions change, creating confusion for recipients and headaches for staff, she said. Providing both indoor dining and outdoor delivery would increase her staffing needs, she said.
It could also create traffic conflicts between vehicles with recipients waiting to pick up meals and vehicles driven by indoor diners trying to park or pull out, she said.
"It's not as easy as it sounds," DelGrosso said. "I have to consider all the ramifications."
The organization will figure it out, though, she said.
Whatever the outcome, "the big thing is, I let them know they're worth something," DelGrosso said. "I care about them."
Altoona Food Bank
The Altoona Food Bank has struggled lately to ensure that people know it still exists.
The problem, which has led to a loss of clients, began after the organization lost its lease and had to move, which meant that it also lost its old phone number, Walter said.
When callers dialed the old number, they heard it was out of service and assumed the organization was defunct, Walter said.
Compounding the problem, a note appeared on the organization's Facebook page that the Food Bank was permanently closed -- a message the organization tried and failed to have removed, Walter said.
The misunderstanding led some regular clients of the Food Bank to seek help elsewhere, according to Walter.
The Altoona Food Bank is now located at 2318 N. Branch Ave., Altoona PA 16601, Walter said. The new phone number is 814-944-4013.
"We're still out there," she said.
In addition to losing clients because of the relocation, the Food Bank also lost clients to organizations that cropped up to help because of the COVID-19 shutdowns and to special government assistance that took care of the need with cash payments, Walter said.
Lately, however, some clients who'd dropped away have been returning.
"The need is still there," Walter said.
The Food Bank is open three days a week, she said.
Before the pandemic, the Food Bank was serving about 1,000 families a month, according to Walter. Recently, it was serving a third to two-thirds as many -- with the number fluctuating.
The Food Bank gives about five days' worth of food to recipients. The bank asks recipients to fill out an income form to show eligibility, although there is rarely a need to reject anyone, she said.
Before the pandemic, the organization required that applicants be referred by a church, the welfare office or an organization like Catholic Charities, she said.
That was suspended due to COVID-19, she said.
She is not sure whether the requirement will be reinstated.
Mirror Staff Writer William Kibler is at 814-949-7038.