By Lisa Merolla, Staff Writer
LAMBERTVILLE — Long before the Lambertville Food Pantry opened, a crowd already had gathered outside its doors.
A line of people waited patiently last week for their turn to choose from the food and household items found inside.
”Did you know that this many people in Lambertville and Bucks County are hungry? I had no idea,” said Judith Norris, a New Hope resident who began volunteering at the pantry this month. “It’s an eye-opening experience.”
”On delivery day, people start lining up before noon,” said Vic Lance, the volunteer director of the food pantry who has worked there for eight years.
The food pantry, located behind St. John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church on Bridge Street, serves between 600 and 900 people every month. Organized by the Delaware Valley Interfaith Council, the pantry is open Wednesdays from 2 to 4 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
”There’s a great variety of people that we serve,” Mr. Lance said. “Some have no jobs. A lot are working people, but they have low-paying jobs. In this area, as expensive as things are, they can use any help we can provide.”
The food pantry is seeing an increase in its number of clients with the American economy struggling, Mr. Lance added.
”Our numbers have increased, and more and more are not homeless and jobless,” he said. “They’re working people, just working hard to make ends meet in a high-cost environment.”
Other regional food banks also have reported a growing demand. The New Jersey Department of Agriculture responded in mid-May by sending a total of $1.19 million to the state’s food banks. NORWESCAP, which supplies much of the Lambertville food pantry’s inventory, received more than $24,000 from the program.
The pantry’s shelves are lined with a wide variety of food, ranging from basic canned goods to several boxes of Girl Scout cookies. It also offers necessities such as laundry detergent and toilet paper.
Besides NORWESCAP, which distributes 2 million pounds of food each year to more than 120 food programs in New Jersey, the Lambertville pantry receives help from local groups. The post offices in Lambertville and New Hope have annual food drives, for example, and nearby schools and Scout troops give food to the pantry. Supermarkets also will provide leftover bread and baked goods.
Local caterers help out the food pantry as well, such as Baker’s Treat in Flemington and Jamie Hollander in New Hope. The pantry volunteers visit the caterers and bring back any leftover food.
Mr. Lance added individuals also provide donations, saying they will drive up to the pantry with boxes of canned goods or homegrown produce.
”It’s a great way to give back to the community,” Mr. Lance said. “You are helping people who are local, your neighbors. What we provide is a basic need — food. If we can help them, we’re making a difference.”
Betty Homa, a resident of Heritage Village in Lambertville, said the food pantry has helped her contend with rent and medical expenses.
”This is a help for me, a really big help,” she said. “Everyone is nice here.”
Ms. Homa, who has been coming to the pantry for about six months, added she has been pleased with the selection of food.
For people to use the food pantry, they must show they require its services either by meeting 250 percent of the federal poverty guidelines or being on a government-sponsored program such as Medicaid or food stamps. They can bring something like a pay stub to show their need, Mr. Lance said.
He added anyone who is hungry should not hesitate to show up.
”We’d like to encourage people who have a need — those who don’t know about us or are too proud — and tell them we are here to help,” Mr. Lance said.
The pantry relies on local volunteers to run smoothly. They restock the shelves, sign in the clients and guide them through the pantry, helping them choose what items to take.
”We operate like a well-oiled machine,” Mr. Lance said of the volunteers. “No matter how crazy it gets, we work together. We’re in it because we want to be; no one is getting paid.”
Joe McGrath, a Lambertville resident, has been volunteering at the pantry for four years. His favorite part is helping the clients.
”I like the people,” he said. “The people are nice and very appreciative.”
Ms. Norris said she has loved her experience so far.
”It’s a useful thing to do, and it’s a really neat way to meet people,” she said.
The food pantry encourages those who are interested to try volunteering their time. People also can donate food, household products or money to the cause. The pantry is always looking for nonperishable food items, paper products like toilet paper and toiletries like toothpaste, soap and shampoo.
Monetary donations can be sent to the food pantry at P.O. Box 705, Lambertville, 08530.
