By Shana Helps
Although Christmas is often a time when volunteers come out en masse to help the needy, Utah''s increase in hunger is evidence of the necessity for year-round aid.
Since 1996, the number of hungry people in Utah has increased, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. However, organizations fighting hunger have been around for much longer.
Utahns Against Hunger, a policy advocacy group that works to eliminate hunger throughout the state, will celebrate its 25th year in 2003, said executive director Gina Cornia. Not only does it hope to eliminate hunger, but also aims to eliminate its root causes.
'But there''s still hungry people,' she said.
Utahns Against Hunger works with food pantries throughout the state to organize food drives and keep them updated on federal nutrition programs, Cornia said. It also works on federal nutrition program policy.
'We''re less project-oriented then we are ongoing issue-oriented,' she said.
Other organizations, less concerned with policy, concentrate solely on the distribution of food.
The Utah Food Bank''s mission is to meet the immediate pain of hunger in Utah, said development director Sara Beckstead. The last few months have seen a significant increase in need compared to previous years, partially due to the economy.
'As those in need increase, there are less people in a position to give, which makes it difficult to meet the needs of our community,' she said.
The food bank staff, which relies a great deal on volunteers, gathers and distributes emergency food to people, Beckstead said.
'It would be impossible for us to do what we do without volunteers,' she said. 'Individuals, corporations, families, churches and schools are all needed and welcome.'
The nitty-gritty of volunteering involves preparing food for children at risk for hunger and malnutrition, office work and distributing, sorting and inspecting food.
'Come help put the soup with the soup and the tuna with the tuna,' Beckstead said.
Along with volunteers, donations from the community are an absolute must to keep the food bank running.
Food drives supply one-third of the food distributed by the food bank, and they bring in much-appreciated variety, Beckstead said.
People can dedicate part of their garden to the food bank, and donate fresh produce, which is a luxury, she said.
Regional food banks serve specific areas in Utah, with emergency food needs. The Timpanogas Food Bank covers Utah, Wasatch and Summit counties.
'We distribute over a million meals a year in the Utah Valley area,' said director Will Johnson.
Timpanogas also relies heavily on volunteers, as there are only three paid employees, he said. Utah Valley residents donate so much food, that the need for volunteers to sort it and help out in other ways is always great.
'Groups are fine,' Johnson said. 'Single people are fine. We''d love everybody. We really do appreciate all the help that we do receive.'
An increase in clients needing food is especially prevalent during the holiday season because people are deciding between paying their rent and paying their heating bills because of the cold weather, Johnson said.
Although people have a great need for food during the summer, there are more donations this time of year, because people are more aware of the needy, he said.
'People tend to think of others during the holiday season and when it is cold outside,' Beckstead said. 'We experience our low points in the summer time and early fall, when we struggle to meet the needs of our state.
Utahns Against Hunger was involved in a fundraiser on Saturday, in conjunction with Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort. Two Utah chefs competed in an Iron Chef competition, and proceeds from the event went to Utahns Against Hunger.
'It kind of grows out of an event that we benefit from in the summer called Taste of the Nation,' Cornia said.