Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Upon hearing that a semi-truck loaded with dry food goods would be available to the hungry in Warsaw Saturday, a stylist stopped cutting a customer's hair and asked a point blank question:
Are there people in Warsaw who go hungry?
She's not the only one who appeared surprised that New Life Christian Church and World Outreach had lined up such a large amount of food to help low-income families whose shelves and stomachs are lacking.
Thirty thousand pounds of food will be distributed beginning at 8 a.m. as part of Sonsplash '98, a Christian music festival the church is hosting in Central Park Saturday.
In an attempt to ensure that the food is put to good use, New Life Christian Church Pastor John B. Lowe contacted other churches and asked that they help identify people in need and coordinate the effort.
A church in Syracuse held a meeting to discuss the idea and the issue turned into a bit of a debate.
"There was quite a lively discussion, if I understand correctly, that there is absolutely no need for free food to be passed out in this area," Lowe said.
"It's quite comical, actually. There's a lot of need. There's a lot of hungry people," Lowe said.
He predicts that, of the 70,000 people who live in Kosciusko County, there are "10,000 who need help" and "5,000 who are hurting real bad."
Combined Community Services helps Kosciusko County families in need on a full-time basis, and the number of people and families needing assistance remains relatively stable from month to month, according to CCS director Marty Courtney.
"We definitely have a need," Courtney said. "I've been here for nine years and it's been pretty consistent.
"Through June we have given about 1,500 food orders, and last year we gave out about 1,600 food orders," she said.
Since about half of those orders come from the same families, she said, the actual number of families at any given time needing assistance is between 600 and 800 countywide, she said.
"We're seeing a roll-over each month, with new families requesting assistance just as we get others off of the need list," Courtney said. "Usually their need is a result of illness or a lay-off, or maybe it's this time of year, with back-to-school expenses. They are in temporary situations of need."
CCS is meeting that need with less assistance from the public, Courtney said. Food donations are so far below what the organization has received in other years, the agency has been forced to go out and purchase food to fill the requests they've been receiving.
"What's been hurting us this year is that we're not having the people donate as much food as we've had in past years," she said.
Courtney said she thinks as many as 2,500 families may be assisted with Saturday's food distribution. What's more, any food remaining will be donated to the CCS food pantry.
Ken Locke, community ministries director for the Warsaw Salvation Army, agreed, both in terms of the need found in the county and the causes for that need.
"The timing is really good because kids are going back to school this time of year and that's putting a strain on families' budgets because of those expenses," he said.
Locke said the Salvation Army's experience is similar to that of CCS, with most of the food requests coming from those people, and particularly families acute need situations.
"In June, for example, we had 207 cases (649 people), of which 169 were families," Locke said. "A lot of our requests come from people who are working but whose budgets are really tight."
There's about a 30 to 40 percent turnover each month in the people seeking assistance, again consistent with the requests received by CCS.
Additionally, the need in the county has changed over the last decade, but the need is there. Kosciusko County is no different than any large city, Locke said.
"This isn't 10 years ago. These people are working and aren't on welfare. They're trying and just not making it," he said. "Kosciusko County isn't Chicago, but we still have the same problems, just not on the same scale. "Our poverty situations are invisible in the county. People are working and doing what they can, but they're just not able to make ends meet."
The Salvation Army is assisting the food give-away Saturday by handing out redemption coupons for Saturday's event.
Distribution of the food will begin at 8 a.m. in the parking lot of Penguin Point across the street from Central Park.
Sonsplash '98 begins at 10 a.m. and continues until 10 p.m. Among the entertainers lined up for the day are Grammy winner Michael English, along with Higher Ground, Limit X, Khanyisa and comedian Mike Warnke.
The festival also will provide spectators with free hot dogs, popcorn and soda.
