WASHINGTON — Soup kitchen workers are seeing new faces in line and charities are taking more calls for help as the recession makes for a less-than-bountiful Thanksgiving.
Hunger-relief advocates came to Congress on Thursday and painted a bleak picture of a country struggling to meet an increased need for food assistance at a time of high unemployment.
“In our 42-year history, we have never witnessed a demand for our services like we are seeing now,” said Josh Fogt, public-policy manager for Northwest Harvest in Seattle, which operates Washington state’s largest food bank.
Charities and nonprofits called on lawmakers to give people tax incentives to donate to charities, expand nutrition programs and spend more on work-preparation programs.The hearing on food banks followed an Agriculture Department report that more than one in seven households struggled to put enough food on the table in 2008.
