More people are using the Queens County Food Bank at the same time as donations are dropping.
Shelly Panczyk, chairwoman of the food bank on Main Street in Liverpool, says the charity served 4,993 people last year. Of those, 1,494 were children.
That’s up markedly from when she started at the charity four years ago. She said back then, they’d see 40 families a week. Now, it’s closer to 55 families a week.
“I just want people to realize that this is a very, very busy place. I call this the third grocery store in Queens County.”
Clients can go to the food bank every 21 days to stock up on food and household items. The food bank also operates a thrift store on Main Street, about a block away.
Last year, revenue at the food bank alone was down by $107,000. But expenses climbed by $17,000. The thrift store, though, generated $82,000 in net income for the food bank.
