All Faiths provides emergency services

All Faiths Food Bank emerged from Hurricane Irma structural sound, but not entirely unshaken. 

"The system is disrupted,"  CEO Sandra Frank said

Many of its partner agencies, key in food distribution, were closed on Wednesday due to flooding and power outages. Schools, another catalyst for food distribution, will remain closed until Monday.

Not only was its distribution stunted, but its intake was crippled.

“We are right now depleting our shelves,” Frank said. “We’re just packing boxes and sending them out. Eighty-five percent of what we get is donated by retailers. They haven’t been open. So we have lost $80,000 to $90,000 of retail food supplies that people don’t even think about.”

Frank said it will be at least a week, maybe two, before it starts receiving food from grocery stores again.

And the Food Bank isn’t the only one struggling to restock its shelves in light of limited access to grocery stores. In the days after Irma 85% of Sarasota residents lost power. Meaning, those already experience food insecurity were forced to throw away what resources they had.

“Right now it’s emergency food response, because stores aren’t open,” Frank said. “Cupboards are empty. Refrigerators are empty. So it is emergency food that we’re providing for a lot of families — ready-to-eat meals, water, snacks — just to hold them over until the stores open up again.”

Frank said the food bank would be reaching out to its summer hunger partners, such as libraries and community centers, to try to distribute food in the days and weeks ahead.

Emergency food and water distribution sites were opened on Thursday at Lee Wetherington Boys & Girls Club, 3100 Fruitville Rd. and the Roy McBean Boys & Girls Club, 1790 21st St.

In addition to emergency needs, Frank said she was concerned for what she calls ALICE families.

ALICE stands for asset limited, income constrained and employed.

“They are working, they are employed, they have incomes, but they are always living right at the brink of homelessness,” Frank said. “This is the kind of event that pushes them over. This is the kind of the disaster that no one anticipates.”

For many Sarasota residents, they woke up relieved on Monday to find that Sarasota was spared from the worst of Hurricane Irma. They checked in on friends and removed storm debris from their yards, eager to return to their routines. However, Frank said, for some, the road to recovery would be longer than a few days.

Despite the better-than-expected outcome, there was still damage.

“I’m hoping people are not fooled by that,” Frank said. “Because right now we’re still on emergency phone calls every day, planning and responding … If we can provide food, then the limited funds they have they can hopefully pay that rent, repair the damage to their homes and at some point replenish their food supplies and get back to the normal life.”

For some families, Frank anticipates longer usage of resources like mobile pantries and backpacks. For others, it might be their first time.

“We’re bracing for several months of increased need,” Frank said. “We have only begun on these recovery and relief efforts.”