At least one local food pantry is feeling the pressure of light shelves while people continue to encounter economic hardships. 

 

“We have received a lot of great donations,” said Diane Giese, executive director of the Seacoast Family Food Pantry in Portsmouth. “People have been wonderfully generous, but I know it’s going to go fast. If this is a good time for people to give, I would not discourage anybody from that.”

 

Giese said August is the hardest month for many families, whose children aren’t receiving subsidized lunches at school. The month is also notoriously slow for donations. “People think it’s summer and nobody’s hungry,” she said.

 

This effect has been compounded by the fact that the number of people requesting food at the pantry is up 50 percent over last year, growth largely attributed to the current economic climate. Giese said she has seen many new faces, including families, and a substantial increase in the number of seniors, who are finding it harder to purchase groceries on retirement or pensions.

 

“They are the hardest to ask for help. If they’re children of the Depression, they always learned to get by, but now it’s harder to make do.”

 

Although it’s difficult to tell, Giese said the pantry has been receiving approximately the same number of donations as last year. She said the panty needs nonperishable staple foods like canned and dried fruit, whole-wheat crackers, rice and macaroni, as well as personal care items like toothpaste and shampoo. In addition, she said, any donations that can be brought in advance of the holidays are helpful. 

 

The Seacoast Family Food Pantry is at Portsmouth City Hall, 7 Junkins Ave., Portsmouth, 603-436-6161. To find other food pantries near you, visit www.nhfoodbank.org or www.ampleharvest.org.