By Craig Anderson

HARRINGTON — They arrive in a variety of life conditions, but they’re all in need of food.

In the past seven years at the Lake Forest Church Association Food Pantry, executive director Elaine Straughn has witnessed many hungry folks visit.

She said about 160 families take part during an average month, which equates to around 190 adults and more than 200 children. They can receive a week’s worth of food once a month, inventory that comes from the Food Bank of Delaware and private donors.

Ms. Straughn described the clientele as varied.

Once, a group of four homeless people arrived, pulling a small wagon to gather what they could.

Another time, she said, two individuals “came from the woods” in need of sustenance.

There are also single people, Ms. Straughn said, like “one gentleman in town who is working three jobs and has trouble making ends meet.”

Groups can also be quite large, she added. In one needy family that visits regularly, a woman just bore her 10th child.

Their methods of getting to the pantry differ, as well, she said.

Some “walk here from town because they don’t have cars or transportation, which means it’s hard to get a job. There’s not a lot to do here unless you have transportation.”

Also coming in are “quite a few sets of grandparents, who are now in charge of their grandchildren, the kids of their kids,” Ms. Straughn said. “I don’t know what the stories are with them.”

Then, there are older adults, “who only have their Social Security as income,” she noted.
Others, if they do have jobs, Ms. Straughn said, are working minimum-wage positions and have limited federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits. The high price of food exacerbates their challenges, she added.

Some people have arrived to the 102 Dorman St. facility crying and saying, “‘I feel so bad’ and that they’re so thankful that we’re here. I say, ‘That is why we are here.’ We know people fall on hard times, people have medical issues, medical bills that add up. There may be someone who died in a family and left the rest under stress, things like that.”

Sometimes, participants are able to get back on their feet, only to return when their expenses change.

To which Ms. Straughn said, “That’s why we’re here, to support you when you need it.”

New faces arrive regularly, she continued. There’s a heavy influx of visitors from Harrington, but the pantry is open to all Kent Countians, aiding those in need from Dover, Felton and Magnolia, too.
Distributing the food are around 30 volunteers, Ms. Straughn said. The association is made up of eight area churches, whose members provide monthly monetary donations, staffing and food.

Add it all up, and “we have all different kinds of people and families, so we try to make sure everyone gets as much food as they can,” she noted.

The pantry is open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:30 a.m. to noon, and interviews must be scheduled to determine eligibility for assistance.

For information, call 302-222-8404 or visit foodpantries.org.