A combination of federal cuts to social service programs, the longest U.S. government shutdown in history, and stubborn inflation have led to record demand at food pantries. For people following medically necessary diets, finding safe food during these difficult times has been even more challenging.
At the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank, the lines have been out the door. Raven Gayheart, the director of marketing and public relations, said they distributed 16 percent more food this past November than the year prior. So far this year, they’ve served 2.1 million visitors to the pantries in their network.
The shelves at the food bank are filled with fresh and shelf-stable goods, ranging from eggs to hot dogs, tomato soup, ramen noodles and macaroni-and-cheese. For most folks, there is plenty here. Two little boys seem especially excited about fresh apples. But for those following a medically necessary diet, their options are limited. The mac-and-cheese, ramen noodles, and even the tomato soup are no-gos for someone who can’t have gluten, for instance.
Laura Donaldson has several food allergies that have come and gone over the years. She’s been allergic to wheat, corn, soy, bananas and most nuts, grapefruits and avocados. She also has a child dealing with several food allergies of his own. She carries EpiPens for both of them, in case of an anaphylactic reaction. When times got tough after the pandemic, she looked for a food pantry that could accommodate their dietary needs.
“It's a terrible disease for a poor person, or low income to have because the alternatives are not cheap.”Melissa Novello, who has celiac's disease, has benefitted from the Celiac and Allergy Friendly Food Initiative pantry.
Over the past few years, Carol Caldwell and Melissa Novello have both conducted the same search for safe food during tough times. Both women have Celiac Disease, an auto-immune disease that can only be managed by adhering to a strict-gluten free diet. Gluten is typically found in wheat products but it’s also found in grains like barley and rye and is a hidden ingredient in many common foods.
Caldwell said she’s been sticking to the gluten-free diet since she was diagnosed 11 years ago and is feeling better as a result.
“But I still have to be careful, I have to make sure I read labels,” she said. “Some labels aren't very clear, so (you) really have to be careful, really read.”
Novello went undiagnosed for nearly four decades, dealing with a litany of physical symptoms her doctors just couldn’t figure out.
“It is definitely very strict,” she said of the gluten-free diet she has to adhere to. “I definitely feel it when I do accidentally have something that might have gluten in it.”
Not only is the gluten-free diet strict, it can also be very expensive. Gluten-free foods like cereals and pasta have been found to be 139 percent more expensive than their regular counterparts.
“It's a terrible disease for a poor person, or low income to have because the alternatives are not cheap,” Novello said.
When times were tough, all three women found the Celiac and Allergy Friendly Food Initiative. The small pantry in Cuyahoga Falls is completely gluten free and also offers soy free, dairy free, peanut free and tree-nut free options.
Lisa Herman and Amy Adams co-founded the Celiac and Allergy Friendly Food Initiative in 2018. Herman was diagnosed with Celiac Disease 14 years ago, around the same time that Adams, was diagnosed with several food allergies. The women started sharing recipes and realized how expensive safe food alternatives were.
“I'm so fortunate that I can afford it,” Herman said of her gluten-free diet. “But not everybody's so fortunate.”
Herman and Adams did a bit of research into what kind of gluten-free and allergy friendly food options were available at local food shelters.
“There was definitely a need,” Adams said. “So we opened the pantry.”
They hold one distribution day per month serving around 100 people, and even deliver to some homes through Project Dash, Door Dash’s initiative that partners with local food banks to deliver goods to people without transportation.
Most of their clients have Celiac Disease or food allergies, though some are affected by other auto-immune conditions like Hashimoto's.
“I find it very sad that if people have to have that special diet and can't, don't have access to the food,” Herman said.
“It affects different people in different ways,” Herman said of her clients and the various medical issues they have to deal with. “Some people, it's the stomach, and some people, you know, it's the panic attacks. It's your whole body, and some people, it's debilitating. They can end up in the hospital.”
For the most part, Herman and Adams go out and buy the food for their pantry themselves with money gathered from donations and grant funds. The Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank’s Raven Gayheart said they also share safe food when they can, and refer people to the specialty pantry.
“We do have a lot of partners who receive grant-funded food that serve very diverse populations, so they are sourcing culturally preferred foods,” Gayheart said.
That includes a food pantry serving a large Bhutanese population, and another that caters to the local Hispanic population. Cleveland is also home to a Kosher Food Pantry.
Gayheart said all food pantries are having to serve more people with fewer resources. The food bank has received 32 percent less food support from government sources compared to last year.
“The need for food assistance is not going away,” she said. “One thing we've always said is hunger doesn't take a holiday.”
Laura Donaldson said she’s only had to use the food pantry once, but “with times getting tougher right now, we might end up having to use it again.”
“It's a godsend for people in the area,” she said.
