ROANOKE, Va. – A Roanoke food pantry is confronting something it has never faced before: completely empty shelves.
St. Francis House, which operates under Commonwealth Catholic Charities Southwest Virginia, relies on monthly USDA food distributions for about 50% of its total resources. But those deliveries have been shrinking steadily since the start of the year, and for the first time, the pantry has been forced to turn people away.
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Shelves sit empty for more than a week
Lucy Enge, development officer for Commonwealth Catholic Charities Southwest Virginia, described the scene inside the USDA food distribution room.
“Usually you’d see this room completely piled high,” Enge said. “Cereal would be stacked up, and that would last us the month.”
The pantry, which is supposed to be open every business day, has been reduced to operating just three days a week as supplies run thin.
“Usually we have these freezers and refrigerators filled with meat and fresh produce,” Enge said. “We’re down to lemons. These are all empty.”
A 61% drop in deliveries
The numbers tell a stark story. Enge said the January USDA delivery weighed approximately 8,300 pounds. The most recent monthly delivery came in at roughly 3,200 pounds.
“That’s a 61% decrease,” Enge said.
Dr. Danah Kaigler, director of community services for Commonwealth Catholic Charities, said the situation is unprecedented for the organization.
“The fact that we’re not receiving the actual food items is new to us,” Kaigler said. “Our leadership has been scrambling, trying to figure out how to get more resources.”
‘This may be our new normal’
Looking ahead, Kaigler said the uncertainty is difficult to plan around.
“I’m not even sure what to expect for June, but I was told this may be our new normal,” she said.
The timing is especially concerning as summer approaches. Enge noted that families are already stretched thin following pandemic-era disruptions and recent cuts to SNAP benefits, and now children who rely on free school lunches during the year are losing that safety net for the summer.
“People, between COVID and cuts to SNAP, are finding themselves visiting pantries for the first time,” Enge said. “And now we’re headed into summer, so kids on free lunches now don’t have that. So there are gaps forming.”
What comes next — how to help
St. Francis House expects a new shipment for the month of June next week, though officials say they have no advance notice of how much will arrive. If the downward trend continues, the pantry may be forced to turn away more clients or stretch its remaining resources further.
In the meantime, St. Francis House is asking the community for help. The pantry is specifically seeking shelf-stable items, including peanut butter, canned meat and canned fruit.
Donations can be dropped off at St. Francis House at 824 Campbell Ave. SW in Roanoke City between 9 a.m. and noon Monday, Wednesday and Friday.