Food banks across the U.S. are facing critical shortages of volunteers as the Omicron variant frightens people away from their usual shifts, and companies and schools that regularly supply large groups of volunteers are canceling their participation over virus fears.
Added to this is the nationwide shortage of truck drivers, forcing many food banks to send emails to the agencies it helps, advising them to make alternative arrangements to receive product orders because of a lack of drivers.
In many cases, food banks are already seeing a serious increase in the cost of food, fueled by supply chain issues and inflation.
“Food banks rely on volunteers. That’s how we keep the costs low,” said Shirley Schofield, CEO of the Food Bank of North Alabama. “The work still gets done but at a much higher expense.”
The extent of the problem was highlighted this past week during the national holiday for Martin Luther King Jr. Day when many food banks have traditionally organized mass volunteer drives as part of a day of service.
MLK Day can be one of the biggest events of the year, but many food banks chose to cancel their plans this year or continued with radically lower numbers than pre-pandemic years.
In Tallahassee, Florida, plans for a volunteer-driven event on the holiday were abruptly canceled when all the volunteers dropped out.
Food banks generally use volunteers to sort through donations and to pack ready-made boxes of goods for distribution. It is common practice to arrange for local companies or schools to send over large groups of volunteers, but that has left the system vulnerable to those institutions pulling out all at once.
In Irvine, California, the Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County has launched an ambitious farm project on 45 acres of land provided by the University of California.
Twenty-two acres have been planted with cabbage and broccoli, and it’s harvest time, reports the Associated Press. However, getting enough volunteers from corporate entities during this virus surge has really hurt.
“It’s a bummer because it’s a great outdoor experience,” said Claudia Keller, the food bank’s CEO. “We’re crossing our fingers that this is a short-term thing. We know many of the volunteers are chomping at the bit to get out there.”
