The Haymarket Regional Food Pantry (HRFP) is experiencing an uptick in clientele recently. I’m frequently asked why this is and what we are doing to meet the increased needs. There are many things at play - first and foremost, the cost of living has markedly increased – we’re all seeing it at the pump and at the grocery store. Second, our area with a large percentage of government and technology workers has been hit especially hard by furloughs and layoffs – as a personal aside I was laid off from my employer along with 30,000 colleagues in late March, so I am experiencing this phenomenon firsthand.
Third, and not so often mentioned is the impact of HR1 – also called the One Big Beautiful Bill which was passed last July. Among other programs, HR1 significantly reduces federal funding for SNAP – previously called Food Stamps. The Capital Area Food Bank estimates that the number of individuals impacted in the Commonwealth of Virginia is 827,800 – that’s a lot of our neighbors having diminished funds to purchase food.
All in all, our numbers continue to creep up – one might even say they are “jumping up”. Last year we assisted 40,000 individuals. With these changes and based off today’s data, we will clearly eclipse that number this year. Last year’s monthly client numbers of 3,000 have now climbed to 4,000, which leads us to project a total number of clients this year closer to 50,000.
To meet the increased need we are picking up food from more places, purchasing more food from purveyors and adding farmers markets to our repertoire. Not only are we doing more but we are attempting to do it in a healthier way. How can you help us?