Emergency food programs receive help

JOEL DAVIDSON/Frontiersman reporter

MAT-SU -- As the Valley population continues to grow, so does the burden on already-overworked food assistance programs.

Sammye Pokryfki, executive director of United Way of Mat-Su, recently announced that $59,000 in federal funds are available to emergency food and shelter programs in the Mat-Su. While the money is helpful, it's not nearly enough, Pokryfki said.

"The need has increased tremendously -- it's unbelievable," Pokryfki said. "From what I understand, all the food banks are inundated. The money is great, but it only covers a portion of the need."

The federal funds, which represent roughly $2,000 more than last year's allotment, provided assistance for six Valley agencies last year. Pokryfki encouraged public and private nonprofit groups to apply for the much-needed money.

The Food Pantry of Wasilla has seen a steady increase of people using its services over the past several years, including a 35-percent increase from last year. Earlier this summer, a worker at the Food Pantry said it was averaging more than 700 bags a month.

Betty Mercer, director of the Wasilla Food Bank, said the number of people it serves has more than doubled in the last two years -- it now serves close to 500 families. Mercer thinks a lot of the need is the result of people being dropped from welfare or elderly people who lost large amounts of their longevity bonus. The additional need has forced the Wasilla Food Bank to look for a bigger building.

"We're in the process of writing a grant for a new building because we have outgrown this place."

Currently the Wasilla Food Bank operates out of the Wasilla Senior Center. AMVETS, located on Knik- Goose Bay Road just outside Wasilla, has agreed to build a new food bank building on its land.

"We need more room, we really do," Mercer said. "There hasn't been a day that we've been open that we haven't received new applications."

Eligible nonprofit groups may call 373-5821 to contact Pokryfki for more information about available federal funds. The deadline for filing applications is Jan. 17.

Contact Joel Davidson at joel.davidson@frontiersman.com.