Ellen St. John, director of the Cooperstown Food Bank, spoke to a crowd of 20 people at the village hall Tuesday night about the organization's need for volunteers and funding.

At a time when many people may be exhausted from giving after the Hurricane Katrina disaster in the Gulf Coast and the tsunami in Asia, St. John said expanding needs and shrinking resources make it more important than ever for people to contribute locally.

"More and more people are coming to the food bank and the funding is not keeping pace to the demand," she said. She said the bank "desperately" needs cash as well as volunteers to deliver food.

The Cooperstown Food Bank served 900 families in 2004, up significantly from 784 families in 2001. St. John said the number of families served in Otsego County is continuing to rise, as social service programs are being scaled back or cut entirely.

"The numbers are creeping up and our funding is going down," she said.

St. John said funding for the organization comes from local churches and some individuals. She said the food comes from drives conducted by local organizations like Cooperstown Central School, the fire department, the Post Office and the Boy Scouts, as well as local businesses and the Regional Food Bank in Latham. Food purchased through the Regional Food Bank costs 16 cents a pound.

She said that while welfare programs tout reducing the number of people on the rolls, this isn't helping families in many situations.

"It's assumed in America that if you work full time you can get by without a problem," she said. "That's not always the case. It's a myth." She said many families are rejected by social service programs, but are working at minimum wage jobs and cannot afford enough food in addition to rent and other expenses. "Minimum wage doesn't support a family."

She said families can't afford to feed their kids for any number of reasons. Often high rent and disability benefits that disappear as soon as they are employed conspire to set people back in their efforts to gain solid financial footing.

"There are so many problems these families face when trying to climb the ladder," she said.

The food bank supplies families in need with different amounts depending on the number of people in the family. Typically, they try to provide each family with four days worth of food, depending on what supplies they have available to them.

"This is not gourmet food, but it is healthy food," she said.

She said families are asked not to come to the bank more than five times a year, but the rules are not absolute depending on the situation. She said the limit exists solely because they are not equipped to handle more than that.

Currently the food bank has a staff of 10 regular volunteers and nine or 10 substitutes who distribute food five days a week. She said with high oil prices and generally increasing prices around the board, the upcoming season is going to be especially difficult.

"It's going to be a tough sell this winter," she said.

To find out more or to donate to the Cooperstown Food Bank, contact St. John at 547-9653.