Hunger doesn'€™t end with holidays

WASILLA — After the holidays, don’t stop giving.

That’s the message the Wasilla Food Pantry wants to drive home this season. The executive director, Eddie Ezeole, said donations typically meet demand around Christmas, but it is late January and February when things get tough for the organization.

Ezeole said need has increased over the past year as the economy soured. The two days before Thanksgiving, for example, saw more than 560 people come through the Food Pantry’s doors behind the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church.

“And we are only open for three hours each day,” Ezeole said. “From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Monday through Friday.”

While there are no strict guidelines on who is eligible for the hand-outs, Ezeole said recipients have to have identification and proof they live in the Mat-Su Valley. There is also an affidavit recipients have to sign saying they make less than a certain amount of money, depending on the size of the family.

“But if people are humble enough to come through my doors, I will give them something to eat,” Ezeole said.

As for donations, Ezeole said they are always welcome, but someone will be available to help unload during the open hours.

This time of year, he said, donations typically spike as more people are in the sprit of giving. Anything edible is welcome, but all holiday dinner-type items are being set aside for the Salvation Army and its Christmas Baskets, Ezeole said.

Of course, the pantry sees a lot of canned goods, but there are plenty of other essentials that are often overlooked, he said.

This time of year, the donations of milk, dairy products and produce seem to lag. People often forget about hygiene products when making their donations, he said.

But more importantly, Ezeole said he would like the donations to keep coming even after the holidays are over.

“What I’m worried about is later in the year when things start to die off,” Ezeole said. “Hopefully, we will get the word out to make people realize we are still here.”

Contact Todd L. Disher at todd.disher@frontiersman.com or 352-2252.