Published: November 16, 2008 12:32 am      

Firefighters, auxiliaries help fill food pantries

BENTON, Ind. — The Fairfield community responded generously Saturday morning to a call to help the Fairfield Food Pantry.

Volunteers from fire departments and their auxiliaries manned the Clinton, Benton and New Paris fire houses to receive the donations.

Boxes and bags of groceries, cash and even a few clothes were collected.

Sandi Sizemore is the director of the food pantry. She said the economic downturn has hit the Fairfield community hard and there are twice as many people seeking help this fall compared to last year at this time.

“The layoffs have really done a number on the folks,” Sizemore said.

And even those who are not laid off may be underemployed, she indicated. Also, many elderly people have been seeking help with their food bills.

“We have had an increase in people who have never been here before,” Sizemore said. And those people are finding it difficult to ask for help.

The higher demand has made the stock of food at the pantry dwindle at times. But Sizemore has confidence in the community.

She said the members of Clinton Frame Church will today deliver food items they collected in their drive. And starting Monday, the Fairfield High School Student Council will begin its food drive. The high school drive has traditionally been very successful, Sizemore said.

With Saturday’s and today’s donations and the pending student council effort, Sizemore is feeling more confident the needs of the Fairfield community will be met.

“I feel we will be over the hump now,” she said.

To donate or get help call Sandi Sizemore at 831-2184.