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May 30, 2008 7:22 pm US/Central
Thousands Of North Texans 'Living On The Fringe'
DALLAS (CBS 11 News) ―
The rising cost of gasoline and groceries is affecting many North Texas families in a very personal way - they don't have enough to eat. Officials at the North Texas Food Bank say thousands of local children will go to bed hungry.
One North Texas mother talked about how she is providing for her kids.
Pam Polk drives 12 miles to work and 12 miles home, but now every two weeks she stops at the Cedar Hill Food Pantry because her family needs food to eat. "I'm working. I'm trying to do the best that I can do and then I look like, wow, I need some help," she said.
Pam says she is one of the 'working poor'. At one point she was a single mom who was advancing in her career, but when her youngest daughter got sick, the medical co-payments and prescription medications piled up. Pam says the event took her family to the financial brink.
Gene Sims runs the Cedar Hill Food Pantry and says 300 needy people have been added to their rolls since the first of the year.
North Texas Food Bank workers say summer is the hungriest time of year. That's when children are out of school, more meals are prepared at home and school breakfast and lunch programs aren't available.
Food pantries across North Texas are also suffering because of the rising cost of groceries and gasoline. It costs more to get food to the pantries and people are simply giving less.
Several months ago the Cedar Hill Food Pantry had an ample supply of food. Friday night the shelves were running low, but so far, there has been enough food to give away.
Just yesterday four coaches from Cedar Hill High School delivered a pickup full of canned goods. The items were collected at the spring football game.
There are givers and receivers and Pam Polk says she's not embarrassed to ask for help. She knows there are many other mothers who are scared, just like she is.
"I would tell them to lift their head up. Please keep the smile on your face and just know that you will come out and have faith in God."
There are food pantries in cities across North Texas and according to the North Texas Food Bank; every dollar donated provides five meals for needy families.
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