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Pocono News Section
Food Pantries, Soup Kitchens Affected by State Budget Battle
Food Pantries, Soup Kitchens Affected by State Budget Battle - Monday, October 5, 2009 at 5:50PM EST
Reported by: Mike Trim
Monday, Oct 5, 2009 @ 05:50pm EDT
WILKES-BARRE, LUZERNE COUNTY -- Food levels are running short as pantries and soup kitchens feel the state budget squeeze.
Catholic Social Services in Wilkes-Barre say it's running its credit line to the max just to make due. A large part of its 11 million dollar budget comes from the state. But without a state budget, Catholic Social Services is having to shuffle funds and foods to make sure its charity work continues.
The state budget crisis is putting the squeeze on soup kitchens like St. Vincent Depaul in Wilkes-Barre. People like Lloyd Wilkerson depend on meals here almost every day. "This place has been helpful to a lot of people but if they don't get the funding then that's not going to help us," said Wilkerson.
St. Vincent Depaul is taking goods from it's own soup kitchen to stock it's neighboring food bank.
Shelves are nearly empty because the bank depends on goods from the state department of agriculture.
With no state budget, director Anne Marie Mccawley was told state funded food won't arrive until November.
It usually arrives by August. "Here are people who are hungry, they're hungry. Now, my question is are they hungry in Harrisburg? Do they go home for supper?"
Catholic Social Services of Wilkes-Barre streamlines funding to St. Vincents Depaul. Director Ronald Evans is fed up with the state budget stalemate. "Everyone we serve are at risk right now unless this thing gets done and we're children at our shelter. We're talking people who are going to our soup kitchen. So the situation keeps growing," said Evans.
Evans says Catholic Social Services has used one million dollars of it's credit line to bridge the budget gap.
He says only $500,000 is left and if the stalemate continues, things could get worse. Evans also says Gabriel Shelter in Pittston is in the middle of the budget struggle.
The shelter helps runaway and homeless teenagers, it also depends on state funds. | | |
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