ALLENTOWN, Pa. — The woman’s name was not real.
Her need was.
She called herself "Margarita," age 30, and had two young children in tow. Please don’t use my real name, she asked.
Asking her why was not necessary. One should not be required to surrender one’s pride simply because they need a helping hand.
“Me and my kids, I don’t know what we’d do without things like this. God bless these people for helping all of us.”"Margarita"
The woman was among the more than 200 residents who lined up outside The Salvation Army for boxes of food and personal items and cases of water at a resource rally presented by Niagara Bottling, which has an office in Allentown, and Feed the Children, the national anti-hunger organization.
The personal cart on which Margarita leaned as she waited to receive her food box was empty.
Her needs, however, were full.
“Me and my kids, I don’t know what we’d do without things like this,” she said. “God bless these people for helping all of us.”
Nearly 22% of Allentown residents live below the poverty line, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Rising food costs, transportation, housing and energy are stretching the budgets of individuals to the breaking point, making it more challenging to put enough food on the kitchen table, officials say.
'Families stretched to the brink'
Each of the food boxes distributed Wednesday contained five premade meals, with a recipe on how to prepare them.
The serpentine line of residents stretched from the sidewalk beside the Salvation Army building and into its parking lot.
Volunteers loaded the boxes of shelf-stable food, fresh produce, daily essentials, children’s crayons and coloring books, and other items either onto their carts and into their vehicles.
The price of food at the resource rally event totaled more than $100,000, placing a dent, not an end, in food insecurity in the Lehigh Valley.
“Families are stretched to the brink right now,” said Joe Allegro, Feed the Children senior director of corporate partnerships, East Region.
“Energy costs and food costs are higher than ever. People have to choose between paying rent and buying food. So people rely on these safety nets to help them out.”
'Proud of my team'
Each food box also contained personal hygiene and household products such as soap, shampoo, toothpaste, deodorant and razors.
Those items are prohibited from being purchased with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, of SNAP, benefits.
“You don’t know the impact you’ll have on these people’s lives. You have touched the hearts of men, women and children.”Maj. Ismael Correa, Salvation Army Allentown Corps Officer
Jose Antigua, plant director of Niagara Bottling’s Allentown location, expressed his sense of pride for being able to participate in the food giveaway.
“I’m really proud of my team being here to support Feed the Children,” Antigua said.
“We’ve been in this community for more than 18 years. I’m so proud of what this community and what it has become feeding the community.”
Maj. Ismael Correa, Salvation Army Allentown Corps Officer, told the gathering: “You don’t know the impact you’ll have on these people’s lives.
"You have touched the hearts of men, women and children.”
'Make kids feel safe'
Rebecca Bodnar, principal at Central Elementary STREAM Academy, located across the street from the Salvation Army, said the impact of the food donation stretches well beyond food.
“We don’t look at these as charity events. We try to provide them dignity. Lots of dignity. Support and dignity."Joe Allegro, Feed the Children senior director of corporate partnerships, East Region
“Many of the families that take part here today have children at CSA,” she said.
“But this is not just about food. This is representative of the care and compassion you have to make kids feel safe.”
That which was not contained in any of the food boxes, but was evident throughout the morning, was the sense of dignity organizers ensured for the guests.
“We don’t look at these as charity events,” Allegro said, scanning the long line of people. “We try to provide them dignity. Lots of dignity. Support and dignity.
"They deserve both.”
