Charities turn away families because of food shortage

"In the eight years I've been here, we've never run out of food," said Sumner Dodge, family services director.

Catholic Charities isn't faring any better.

"Our pantry is down to one can of tuna," case worker Margaret Boyers said. "It breaks my heart every time families come here. Every day we get about 50 families."

The Lied Dining Room, formerly called St. Vincents by Catholic Charities, is doing a little better in its efforts to feed homeless people.

"We always need food," dining-room manager Dave Merrill said.

Sometimes his facility gets help from casinos, the convention center or other organizations, but it never seems to be enough.

During the first six months of 1997, the Salvation Army food bank supplied 12,000 people with groceries - this year it so far has supplied about 21,000.

The organization's major food drive, during which 65 percent of its total annual supply is collected, won't be until November when the Boy Scouts start their campaign. Last year the Scouts collected 118 tons of food.

"I think the economy has been slowing down over the past year and the low-income people are having a harder time making enough to buy food," Dodge said. "They are in a tighter squeeze."

Many people move to Las Vegas every month in hopes of finding more money and a better life, but when they arrive they encounter lower wages and higher costs than they expected, Dodge said.

archive