The Cupboard Is Half Bare

By Steve Alexander Reporter

The Bay Area Food Bank hopes to get more donations before Thanksgiving The Cupboard Is Half Bare

Published: Tue, October 30, 2007 - 7:11 pm Last Updated: Wed, October 31, 2007 - 10:25 am

Steve Alexander

There's disturbing news about an agency that helps the needy in Mobile.
Officials with the Bay Area Food Bank say their shelves are about half empty, and there are a number of reasons.
Food Bank Executive Director David Reaney says a lot of food is donated by national corporations that produce more than they can sell.
But now, computers are helping those businesses better control their inventory, which means fewer donations.
Reaney says, "In the past, they canned corn until they ran out of corn. Now, they look and go, 'You know, we're probably only going to sell 100 truck loads so we're only going to buy a 100 truck loads and can a hundred truck loads.' "
And food bank officials say not only are supplies down, but demand is up.
They say many middle income families are having trouble paying higher energy and medical bills.
As a result, according to Reaney, "There is a tremendous number of people who are above the line for eligibility for food stamps, but really do live very close to the edge, so that a 10 percent or 15 percent increase in utility costs takes them across the edge."
The Bay Area Food Bank says people can help the agency by donating money or holding food drives.