SECOND HARVEST Handling fee threatens meal distribution for '05

The average increase in cost for hunger-relief agencies will be $500.
By WILLIAM K. ALCORN
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- The decision of Second Harvest Food Bank of the Mahoning Valley to charge a 10-cents-per-pound handling fee for canned goods and other nonperishables supplied by the U.S. Department of Agriculture will likely mean fewer meals distributed by its member hunger-relief organizations in 2005.
Currently, Second Harvest, which provides food to 200 hunger relief organizations in Columbiana, Mahoning and Trumbull counties, does not charge for handling USDA goods.
It was, however, necessary to start charging because of the increased cost of handling the food, particularly the price of gasoline and utilities, and reduced reimbursements from USDA, said Michael Iberis, Second Harvest executive director.
In 2003, it cost Second Harvest about $300 for fuel to get a truckload of food from Columbus, compared with about $500 now.
Costs
Second Harvest did reduce the handling fee for non-UDSA items from 14 to 10 cents a pound, which will partially offset the USDA increase for many agencies.
He said that though about 80 percent of Second Harvest's hunger-relief agencies will experience an increase in costs, the remaining 20 percent will see a reduction in overall costs.
The key, Iberis said, is the amount of USDA food that an agency distributes. Agencies that are heavy in USDA food, which USDA discourages, will be hurt the most. On average, he said the increase will be about $500.
Officials involved with the food pantry at the Second Christian Church in Warren said the handling fee changes will probably be a "wash" because it doesn't use much USDA food.
However, for the Mahoning County Salvation Army, it will be a significant issue, said Jean Malandro, director of social services.
Malandro said about half of the food it distributes is from the USDA. Between January and August, the Salvation Army distributed food to 29,913 families, or about 90,000 people.
Coupled with less funding from United Way and other sources and fewer private donations, the increased costs will mean fewer meals for fewer people in the face of sharply increasing need, Malandro said.
Malandro is not critical of Second Harvest, saying it's a great source of food. When handling costs go up, however, there is less money for food.
Meeting the need
Iberis said Second Harvest, located at 2805 Salt Springs Road, is working efficiently.
He said Second Harvest will distribute 4.5 million pounds of food this year on the same budget as it delivered 2.75 million pounds of food in 2000.
But Iberis cautioned it has come to the point where Second Harvest can't squeeze any more out. "We didn't raise prices in September 2003, when the USDA authorized the assessment. But, if we are going to continue to meet the need, we have to have more dollars," he said.
Iberis said Second Harvest gets the food it distributes from three basic sources: USDA, nonperishables; national food distributors and others, nonperishables; and the Ohio Agricultural Surplus Production Alliance, perishables, such as produce.
Iberis said Second Harvest will distribute about 900,000 pounds of food from the Ohio Agricultural Alliance at no cost.
alcorn@vindy.com