Snow days make it hard for local food insecure families

The blizzard of 2018 has come and gone. 

Many of us braved it inside our warm homes with a well stocked pantry and plenty of food in the fridge, but not everyone was that lucky. 

Unfortunately for some, the blizzard meant penny pinching and rationing food to make sure everyone got fed.  

"I couldn't imagine being in a house five days and not eating or two or three days not eating," says Willie Downing, Director for Richard A. Hazel Community Center in Salisbury. 

Unfortunately, that's a reality for some families right here on Delmarva. It's only a few, but a few is still too many.

"It has been kind of a terrible situation with schools being out but what we've found out is that we've received more phone calls now from community members asking for food," says Rev. Mark Thompson from Emmanuel Wesleyan Church. 

The blizzard, leaving Delmarva at a complete standstill for days. Some public schools are still closed. Food pantries and after school programs just now opening their doors.

Making it tough for families who depend on school meals, even meals from places like Richard A. Hazel Community Center.

"Most of the kids that come to our program like this, like a snow day, they are in our regular after school program so they are used to getting a good meal from us when they are here," says Downing. 

But they weren't able to open their doors until Tuesday afternoon and that left some kids with at least five days without expected meals. 

"You look at kids receive breakfast, lunch, and sometimes a snack after school and parents do rely on that so what happens when schools are out," explains Thompson.  

That's why Rev. Thompson makes sure Emmanuel Wesleyan's food pantry does whatever it takes to stay open. 

"If I have to call the Sheriff's department or someone to come here and meet me here with 4-wheel drive we will get you the food." 

Thompson says if families find themselves in need of food, especially during snow days to call 211 and they will connect you to places like Emmanuel Wesleyan. 

Right now, the Maryland Food Bank does have a school pantry program. It's where students in need have access to take some food home.

But they are hoping to expand that program with the help of Emmanuel Wesleyan and Salisbury University's Education Club.

They want to launch a backpack program for students that are identified as food insecure to go home with a backpack filled with food on weekends and in times of need. 

"Students from Salisbury University will pack the bags. We're looking at not just giving them a grocery bag so they won't have the stigma of 'Why do you have food over the weekend?' but it will be in a backpack so they won't know any difference from any other student and they'll have food some of the essentials that they need to make it more than just the weekend," says Thompson. 

Again if you or a family you know finds themselves in need of food, especially during a snow storm like the one we just had, call 211. 

They will connect you with a food pantry open and close to you.