Even the helpers need help sometimes.
The Salvation Army of Long Beach has fallen on rough times in this economy, as the number of people in need is increasing dramatically. Some have lost jobs, others their homes, but the Salvation Army serves them all with whatever they can give. A record 93 new families were assisted in August of this year, and supplies are dwindling. The food pantry has already been forced to cut back its hours due to increased need and decreased supplies. In fact. the Salvation Army of Long Beach is in danger of closing the food pantry due to low supplies.
“This is a crisis that we weren’t expecting,” says Gail Crandall, from the Salvation Army location at 455 E. Spring Street. The food pantry usually has plenty of food to last until the holidays, when a big push is made to supply those in need. These days, though, that surplus is gone.
“It’s very disheartening to go look in the pantry and see nothing there, when you’ve got families asking you for help,” Crandall says. She cites many reasons for the increased number of people seeking help, from credit card debt and gas prices to unemployment and groceries. “I don’t know if you’ve been to a grocery store lately, but its getting expensive. A lot of people don’t know what to do, so they’re seeking out places like the Salvation Army and others.”
They don’t fit the normal profile of someone in need, either. People who have found themselves in hard times unexpectedly can be embarrassed by having to seek help because of the stigma attached to it. The Salvation Army even tries to put them in contact with agencies that can assist with rent and utilities.
As always, anyone who is willing to help can donate canned goods so that they can be made available to struggling families. Crandall says that many schools and Scout troops have been organizing food drives, and that anyone wishing to help can become ivolved with one of the drives.
The 455 E. Spring Street office is open everyday from 8:30am-3:00pm, and Crandall recommends calling first to provide notice. The office can be reached at (562) 426-7637.
By Ryan ZumMallen, Managing Editor