The Food Bank of Central New York is losing food donations because of the current economic situation, but the organization is still able to handle the community’s demands thanks to generous financial donors. The Director of Development and Marketing for the organization, Katharine Loomis, says that about one third of the Food Bank's donations are food. She says manufacturers that once donated mislabeled and damaged food are now selling these goods at a discounted price to dollar stores and other discount places. She says these stores are now selling discounted food to people who are having trouble buying regularly priced items at traditional grocery stores. Because manufacturers are also having a tough time financially, it’s a good way for them to make some extra money. “Rather than donate it to a food bank then they would prefer to sell it,” Loomis says, “even if it’s at a reduced cost.” Loomis adds that the Food Bank is seeing a lot of new faces in its hunger relief centers. She says that while food donations are down, financial donations are up, which are helping to balance out the costs for the increase in people at the hunger relief locations. Loomis says that in times of crisis, people want to help out their neighbors. “One of the things that we are seeing is that we have very generous donors,” she says, “people know that there is a stronger need now for hunger relief in this community than there ever has been before…we’ve seen an increase in donations this year but its kept up with what our costs have increased to”.
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