GREENSBORO — Claude McMahan has two bad knees, an endless supply of stories to tell and an icebox full of frozen food.
He came by the first two things by himself. The last took some help. McMahan, who is in his 80s, gets a delivery each month from Food Assistance, a mobile meals program that serves the area. Ribs and other meats, vegetables and some other staples are the difference between a decent existence — and something else.
"If I didn't have it, I'd be a lot worse off," McMahan said. "They're the nicest people that ever lived."
For McMahan, like many other seniors in the area who live close to the edge of hunger, twin barriers converged to make life difficult: money and mobility.
He was an insurance man for 25 years at Pilot Life. He knows how to talk to people, how to listen, how to persuade.
But at this point, his income is down to Social Security, which doesn't go far after you pay the rent and the light bill.
And health problems have left him wheelchair-bound.
"I can't even get out of the house," he said.
McMahan is far from alone.
When Jane Carlson visits a house, she takes food with her.
Carlson, Food Assistance's executive director, isn't necessarily making a delivery. Her job often involves interviewing prospective clients.
But when she gets there, some are ravenous.
"I've gone into situations where people have gone without food for a couple days," she said. "I've been in situations where people have torn into the bread and peanut butter because they were so hungry."
That's not uncommon. Carlson estimates out of every five people she meets with, two or three have been skipping meals.
"A lot of them are not eating very well," she said. "They say, 'I really don't have the money."
And that demand has only been rising — soaring, in fact — in recent months, as the economy has soured.
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That has placed a strain on food banks, which play a vital role in making surplus food from stores and restaurants available to relief agencies. But increasingly, the shelves are bare.
"This is the lowest food I've ever seen," Carlson said. "You get in the food bank, and there's no food," she said.
Erin Foster, spokeswoman for the Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina, said the bank is caught in a vise, seeing demand rise while supplies fall.
In a survey of the agencies it serves, the agencies reported that demand was up 41 percent at the end of October and 70 percent at the end of November.
At Urban Ministry, the pantry is busy these days. Demand is skyrocketing month after month.
"It's just going out of here so fast," said Tyra Clymer, who works with people who need food, clothing and other help. "We need more."
Many of those coming in are working but can't make ends meet, particularly as the weather turns cold and utility bills rise. Some are coming in for the first time in years, or ever.
Warm Dove arrived at the Lee Street building Thursday needing food.
"I have nothing in the freezer. I have nothing in the refrigerator," she said.
Dove, who said she hadn't been to the agency for food assistance for years, is on disability. The last time it happened, a roommate had moved out, leaving her unable to have enough money to pay rent and buy food. This time, she's waiting on food stamps that haven't come.
She's also looking for work and particularly wants to help others. She hopes to open her own nonprofit one day, but for now would like to work at Urban Ministry.
For many who need food assistance, it's a constant struggle.
Terry Miller, who also is on disability, said he's never been starving, but it's never easy, either.
"I've just been trying to make it one day at a time," he said. "Thank God it hasn't happened."
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Still, the meals aren't always the best. Sometimes "I have to open up a can of Vienna sausages to keep me going."
Many of those who depend on the agencies for help are elderly.
Ellen Whitlock, executive director of Senior Resources of Guilford, said the agency now has 34 people on its waiting list for meals delivered daily. That's almost unheard of--- usually, there is no list at all.
Whitlock said many people might be unaware of the need.
"We're all so insulated in our own little world," she said. "Many times, older adults are forgotten and overlooked."
Few in the assistance agencies expect the problems to ease anytime soon. Worse, donations often drop after the holidays, although demand doesn't, Clymer said.
While donations have been rolling in, the demand is staggering.
"It's just been overwhelming," she said.
Contact Jason Hardin at 373-7021 or at jason.hardin@news-record.com
WANT TO HELP?
Many agencies serving those who need food are looking for financial assistance and volunteers. A few ways to help:
Food Assistance Inc.: Donations can be sent to Food Assistance Inc., 102 Kirk Road, Greensboro, NC 27455-1751.
Information about volunteering: www.foodassistancenc.com
Senior Resources of Greensboro: Call 373-4816 or go to www.seniorresources-guilford.org
Urban Ministry: Call 271-5959 or go to www.greensborourbanministry.org
Operation Greensboro Cares: An effort directing resources to several agencies. Donate at www.operation greensborocares.org or send mail to Operation Greensboro Cares, P.O. Box 14985, Greensboro, NC 27405.
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