Need growing, aid agencies say

LITTLE ROCK — Citing tough economic times and a lack of job opportunities in the area, officials at the Watershed Human and Community Development Agency and the Arkansas Food Bank Network said they are seeing more families in need now than in recent memory.

This increase in need was seen at the Watershed agency’s Christmas in July event Wednesday, during which between 300 and 400 families received jars of peanut butter, fresh tomatoes, cake and other food items. The event, which encourages families in need to sign up for the agency’s December programs, served as many people as possible before staff members had to close the doors around 1 p.m., said agency Executive Director the Rev. Hezekiah Stewart.

“People will come and sign up, but we normally don’t have these kinds of lines in July,” he said. “So it’san indication of what’s going to be happening around Christmastime, so right now we might be in a little bit of trouble.”

Stewart, who founded the agency and serves as pastor at Moody Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church, said many of the people who visit the group have recently lost their jobs or can’t find employment in the area. He said the economy is the worst he has seen in his 34 years at the agency.

“We have to retrain, retool and reschool people on how to exist in these difficult economic times,” Stewart said.

Phyllis Haynes, executive director of the Arkansas Foodbank Network, said a “hunger study” by the group showed an 11 percent increase in need for food-bank services between 2005 and 2009. The food bank’s causes echoed those heard at Watershed.

“I always ask why and the answer consistently is the economy and job losses,” Haynes said.

She said the network has also seen an increase in need this year, doling out 36 percent more food in June than it did in January, a total of 923,122 pounds of food compared with 679,909.

While the network is able to provide for most hungry Arkansans in its 33-county area, the Watershed agency tries to meet other needs of struggling families, from finding transportation to work to helping out on rent payments. Stewart had shoeboxes full of requests for help paying utility bills sitting on his desk Wednesday as he looked out the window at the line of people waiting outside.

Because of this demand, Stewart said the agency would benefit this year from monetary donations so that it can help more families pay their utility bills. He said monetary donations will also help families pay for unexpected bills - sometimes brought to the agency - that come up.

“They come here for everything, and by everything I mean everything,” Stewart said.