Springfield food banks see surge in need following Haitian TPS end

SPRINGFIELD — Food banks in Springfield said they’ve been seeing an increase in the need for help.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

One that helps many immigrants says that’s especially been true since Temporary Protected Status for Haitians ended Monday.

St. Vincent de Paul said they’ve noticed another uptick in need since TPS expired for Haitians on Monday.

On Tuesdays and Thursdays at St. Vincent de Paul in Springfield, there’s a focus on food pantry ministry.

TRENDING STORIES:

“We serve people all the time, but Tuesday and Thursday are our scheduled pantry days,” Casey Rollins, Executive Director, St. Vincent de Paul Springfield, said.

They run what’s known as a “choice pantry.”

“They come in and take whatever it is they need for their family, per the size of their family,” Rollins said.

She said the need has been so great recently.

They’ve converted a section of the St. Vincent de Paul Community Center into a food box assembly line.

“The need has increased significantly for everyone, but it’s far bigger now for the immigrant community. People have lost jobs, people have lost their right to drive, so they definitely have significantly more need for food. So we are definitely seeing that,” Rollins said.

Within that overall need to put food on the table in Springfield, Rollins says there’s been what she calls “a dramatic surge” in the need for food assistance, particularly among Springfield’s immigrant community, Haitians specifically, this week.

We also talked to Second Harvest Food Bank in Springfield today.

They said from June last year to June this year they’ve seen an 18% increase in the overall need for food for all families here in Springfield.

They said that’s due to several economic factors, including the price of groceries.

[SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]