BROOKINGS – As overall inflation gallops across the nation, one vital staple is becoming harder to get for about 40 million Americans: food. And as food prices continue to go up, federal food stamp benefits, now officially called SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) are going to, or soon will, go down. South Dakota has about 32,000 people or about 9% of the state’s population eligible for food stamps.

The six states bordering South Dakota have similar percentages of their populations (in rounded off numbers) eligible for food stamps: Wyoming, 5% (12,300); Iowa, 10% (129,000); Nebraska, 8% (63,000); Minnesota, 8% (172,000); North Dakota, 7% (21.000); and Montana, 9% (40,000). An Associated Press report on April 18 noted that of those states, North Dakota, Nebraska, South Dakota and Iowa have scaled back food stamp benefits; and benefits in Wyoming will be cut in the next month.

While these cuts contribute to food insecurity in a big way, inflated food prices nationwide have also chipped away at people who were already cutting back on expenses. That has led to an increased demand being placed on a variety of agencies in the Brookings area whose mission is to help feed the hungry. Feeding Brookings is one of them.

Numbers tell the tale

Looking back to pre-COVID days, Joanne Matthees, volunteer coordinator of Feeding Brookings, cited some statistics showing where the agency has been and where it’s going: pre-pandemic, in 2019, food box distribution totaled about 5,700, an average of about 110 per week; in 2020, with COVID-19 coming to town, numbers went up to 9,600 for the year, or 185 per week; in 2021 the upward trend continued, up to 12,800, or 246 a week; for 2022, food distribution to date is averaging 278 boxes a week.

“We’ve had numbers as high as 310 already,” Matthees added. “So the numbers have been up in the 300s. The numbers are still going up; they can be fluctuating; it’s still a little unpredictable.”

She noted that there are some eligibility requirements for the program, and some families served can come weekly if they believe the need is there.

“We do ask them if they are within the income guidelines set by Feeding South Dakota,” she explained. “Most of them, of course, are. Right now I think it’s up to 200% of the poverty level. They raised the rates a little bit recently, probably to reflect the cost of food.”

The operation of Feedings Brookings demands a lot of volunteers, many of them behind the scenes at the weekly food distribution from 4-5 p.m. Thursdays at the parking lot of Ascension Lutheran Church. She relies heavily on Bill Alsaker, her “second in command.”  

“We (Feeding Brookings) have a contract with Feeding South Dakota, so some of the food we get is free,” Matthees said. “It’s called TEFAP – The Emergency Food Assistance Program. I believe we’re the only ones in town that get that food through TEFAP; that’s the free food.

“We can also buy food from the warehouse of Feeding South Dakota. That’s usually at pretty reduced cost, because their food that they get is donated or they’ve purchased it, and they try to keep the cost down.”

“Food pantries or food banks can buy food directly from them,” Matthees continued.

“We try to do that as much as possible, because that makes our money go further. We can get ground beef for 18 cents a pound. We try to buy as much as we can from them.

“We do rely on Hy-Vee for more perishable things like fresh produce and other meats if we need to, hot dogs and things like that. Blocks of cheese we’ve gotten at Hy-Vee.”

Matthees noted that Feeding Brookings plans for having about 300 to 320 dozen eggs available for distribution each week. Most of those eggs come via donations from Dakota Layers, and some are purchased from Hy-Vee to help reach that number.

“There’s a lot of organizations in town that we rely on to keep us supplied. Either we buy it from them or they donate it. The Brookings community has been very generous.”  

Feeding students’ families

Another key provider in the war on food insecurity in the local area is the Brookings Backpack Project, headed up by executive director-coordinator Cathy Ching. Its mission of providing food to children who attend schools in Brookings, Elkton and Volga plus Head Start is ramping up this year.

“During COVID, our numbers just completely went out the roof,” Ching said. “Usually during the summer, our numbers go way down. During summer 2020, we were doing 480 bags a week.

“This last year (2021), it was less because we changed some things that we did. We didn’t have a lot of people out there. We didn’t know how (COVID) was spread, so we wanted to do it the safest way possible.”

This upcoming summer’s approach will be more family-oriented. 

“We are going to have on hand for people to pick up, family-sized items,” Ching said. “Usually what we put in the bag were things that the kids could fix themselves. There was macaroni and cheese and then some tuna or chicken to go with it, some type of entrée and eight or nine snacks as well.

“This year we are going to change that and have actual items available for families. We don’t have any financial restrictions with what we do, because we don’t get any government funding. We can just help anybody and everybody. Along with purchasing food from Feeding South Dakota, we purchase food from Hy-Vee.”

Citing an example of the impact of reduced SNAP funding, Ching referenced a phone call: “I had a gal call me last week. Because of what’s going on their food stamps went down between $800 and $900 a month. It’s pretty hard to go from that; they have five children. It’s really hard to lose that much of food stamps and assistance.

“She came out, and we got some basic food for her and some other food, and we plan to continue to do that.”

During the past two years the schools were able to provide, with federal funding, free breakfast and lunch for all students, she explained. “They’re not going to do that again (after) this (school) year. Between that and the price of food going up and restrictions that they’re putting on the food stamp program, SNAP, I think that we’re kind of anticipating quite a need.”

BBP gets its funding from individual donations, churches and a variety of grants.

60s Plus, food pantry

For older residents in Brookings, the Inter-Lakes Community Action Partnership, headquartered in Madison, offers several options under its 60s-Plus Dining program. 

“Our numbers are up in the last few years. The price of food hasn’t affected us quite yet,” Chantel Granum, who cooks for the program in Brookings, said. “Our prices have stayed the same, so far.” 

The recommended donation per meal is $3.90. About 575 total meals are served, Monday through Friday. Some are served at the Brookings Activity Center, and some are delivered.

Add to the above numbers about 25 to 30 Seven Pack Frozen Meals. They’re offered for a suggested free-will donation of $27. They can be picked up or delivered. 

The Brookings County Food Pantry, operated by Gail Seeklander and Deb Brandwein, saw the demand for groceries hit a high in 2020 with the coming of the pandemic: 982 families seeking food. Seeklander said 30 of them had never before been to the pantry.

In 2021, the number of visits dipped a bit, to 856. Now with 270 families seeking groceries through March, the total for 2022 could hit 1,000. And the women are again seeing families making first-time visits to the pantry. 

Seeklander sees decreased SNAP benefits and rising food prices as factors driving a demand for pantry groceries this year. 

“People are asking for more meat, along with everything else. They’re looking for anything that can get to make a meal,” she said.

The Food Pantry is open Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, from 1 to 4:30 p.m.

Contact John Kubal at jkubal@brookingsregister.com.