TOLEDO, Ohio — As food prices continue to soar and donations decrease, one of Toledo’s most vital local outreach organizations, Helping Hands of St. Louis, is struggling to keep up with the growing demand for its services. The nonprofit, which has been a cornerstone of support for those in need for more than four decades, is now facing some of its toughest challenges yet.
Located at the corner of Sixth Street and Starr Avenue, Helping Hands of St. Louis provides a wide range of services to individuals and families facing hardship. From offering onsite meals to running a choice pantry, clothing center, and providing essential items such as homeless kits and hygiene supplies, the organization has become a lifeline for thousands of community members. Each year, Helping Hands of St. Louis serves over 5,000 individuals, distributing more than 2,000 bags of groceries and thousands of snack packs and hygiene kits.
However, the rise in demand for services is being met with significant obstacles. Sue Shrewsbery, the director of Helping Hands of St. Louis, explained that the organization is now facing a 50% reduction in food supplies from SeaGate Food Bank, which has been a crucial source of support. In March, the food bank canceled $655,000 worth of food orders, causing a major disruption in the pantry’s ability to stock essential items such as milk, cheese, and butter.
“We used to receive these items regularly, but now, if we want to offer them, we have to rely on donations because we simply don’t have the budget to purchase them ourselves,” Shrewsbery said. The impact of federal funding cuts, which have trickled down to local organizations, has only worsened the situation.
The need for support is not only growing due to the rise in food prices but also because many local donors are scaling back their contributions. As a result, the pantry is seeing an increase in the number of people relying on its services. “We’ve seen a 15% increase this year, and 30% the year before,” Shrewsbery said. “It’s not getting smaller; it’s growing.”
The growing demand for assistance could soon force the organization to make difficult decisions. “If things don’t improve, we might have to scale back. We’d have less for people to choose from in the pantry, and they’d go home with less than what they need,” Shrewsbery warned.
In addition to the pantry, Helping Hands of St. Louis serves over 40,000 meals onsite each year and provides free clothing to thousands of people. However, the organization is now at a critical juncture, where it is uncertain whether it will be able to continue offering the full range of services to the community.
Despite these challenges, Helping Hands of St. Louis continues to remain open, hoping that increased community support will help them weather the storm. The organization has urged local residents to consider making donations, whether monetary or in-kind, as the need for help continues to grow.
For those who would like to assist or learn more about how they can contribute to Helping Hands of St. Louis, the organization encourages individuals to reach out directly. Whether through food donations, volunteer work, or financial support, every bit of help is essential to ensuring that Helping Hands can continue to provide critical services to the Toledo community.
As food pantries and outreach organizations across the country face similar struggles, the situation in Toledo serves as a stark reminder of the growing challenges nonprofit organizations are experiencing in meeting the increasing demand for help.