Empty shelves

Things are tough, but they are tougher for some than they are for others.

And with a federal government — for now — offering little help and a state government lacking enough resources to even keep its own park offices open, the local and state food pantries, food banks and soup kitchens are being forced to play an even larger role than normal.

Which is why it is so distressing to read stories like this and this. All four pantries in our coverage area — the South Brunswick Food Pantry, the Deacons’ Food Cupboard in Jamesburg, Skeet’s Pantry in Cranbury and the Monroe Food Pantry — are facing shortages at a time when need is up.

Due to the harsh economic climate across the nation, the food pantry has seen an increase in local families and individuals in need of assistance.

”Compared with last year when we helped on average about 25 families per month the number of people in need of help has grown,” said Social Services Director LouAnne Wolf. “Last month we gave to 53 families.”

In addition, there is no money left in the township’s Human Intervention Trust Fund, which is used to help people who are behind in their rent or utility payments.

The hardships facing many across the community is representative of the current economic situation throughout the U.S., according to Ms. Wolf.

”We’re seen as a nice middle and upper class community but unemployment hits here as much as anyplace else,” Ms. Wolf said. “Businesses and individuals who usually donate have had to tighten their belts. We don’t know what the Human Intervention Trust Fund will look like in 2009.”

Shelves that are usually stocked full are now lacking, which will make it hard for many families to make it through the holidays. Food boxes that are delivered to families once monthly are currently lower in items than usual, Ms. Wolf said. Items that help families enjoy the holidays are also lacking.

”I’d like to have more pancake mix and syrup so families are able to sit together and have a nice breakfast,” Ms. Wolf said. “For us to have some empty shelves means we’re not filling as much as we need to.”

Skeet’s reports some of the same issues,

Skeet’s Food Pantry of the First Presbyterian Church of Cranbury is currently helping about 80 families and is seeing that number increase on a weekly basis, according to food drive organizer Deanna Anderson.

”We’re light on donations thus far, but we’re also seeing more food going out in general than we’re used to seeing this time of year,” Ms. Anderson said. “People in this area are so generous, but everybody has been so involved in the election and the economy. We have to get ourselves jump-started into the holiday spirit.”

If only it were so easy. With unemployment rising to its highest level in years and New Jersey looking at a job deficit for the decade, it is no longer good enough to rely on donations and private agencies to take care of those in need.

Not that it ever was good enough. The problem is that enough of us have been doing fine and the folks hitting hard times tended to live elsewhere — out of sight, out of mind.

So we allowed our social safety net to fray badly so that now, when it is most important that it keep people from crashing to the ground, it isn’t there. And the private agencies that have been serving as the last resort are stressed beyond their capabilities.

The answer seems pretty simple but, after years of anti-government rhetoric, rebuilding the safety net won’t be easy.

We need extended unemployment benefits and a public works program, which President-elect Barack Obama is promising, but we also need a more comprehensive network of public aid (money, clothing, food, etc.). Budgetary issues may stand in the way, which could require new taxes — not something that will be popular. But the question we will need to ask ourselves is whether the cost of temporary economic stimuli and longterm program expansion is more than the cost of doing nothing and watching our economic well being and the economic well being of our neighbors deteriorate further.