KENNETT SQUARE, PA — Food, housing, and other essential, life-sustaining necessities are expenses that many neighbors are unable to balance – forcing them to answer questions like “Do I buy food or medicine? Pay this month’s rent or utilities?” Kennett Area Community Service (KACS) programs, especially KACS Food Cupboard, are experiencing a significant increase in cases – many more residents are coming to KACS for assistance with food, utilities, rent, and mortgage, and some are homeless or imminently homeless.
In May 2023, the KACS Food Cupboard (a.k.a. Kennett Food Cupboard) provided food to 935 households – a 189% increase from May 2022. Of these 935 households, 52 households came to KACS Food Cupboard for the first time. This significant increase is due to inflation (increasing rent, soaring food prices, and higher utility bills), and SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) Emergency Allotment benefits that ended in March. On average, each SNAP participant had their benefits reduced by $82 each month.
Chester County is the richest county in Pennsylvania and yet, a family of four (2 adults and 2 children) with two full-time incomes – making $15/hour or $4,800 a month – are unable to attain a modest yet adequate standard of living in Chester County where the average household cost is $9,089 every month (source: https://www.epi.org/resources/budget). These families rely on KACS to help alleviate the questions; “Do I buy food or medicine? Pay this month’s rent or utilities?”
“If you live or work in Southern Chester County, I hope that you feel some responsibility and duty to care for your neighbor. At KACS, we do not charge for any service we provide, and we rely on grants and the generous donations of our community – together we can end the cycle of poverty,” said Leah Reynolds, M.S.P.L., Executive Director.
Please help KACS help our neighbors in need and strengthen our community – for more information on how you can help through donations, food drives, and volunteering, visit www.KACSImpact.org or mail your donation to KACS, 136 West Cedar Street, Kennett Square, PA 19348.
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