The Hope Town Council is hoping to provide some assistance to small businesses and residents in the town.
“From what I know, there are probably two businesses around the town square that have not been hurt badly,” Susan Thayer Fye told the Hope Town Council.
Even before COVID-19 began damaging the national economy, the latest census data showed the median household income in Hope was about 20% lower than the comparative median figure of $60,152 earned by families in Columbus. That same data shows 6.3% of Hope residents living in poverty, while 6% had no health insurance.
After unemployment soared last March, the town council approved sending $1,000 a month to the Hope Food Pantry, located in the Community Center of Hope, from April through June.
But even though unemployment has improved, demand at the pantry has increased monthly since October, according to Chelsea Warriner, the center’s executive director.
But it’s likely the worst is yet to come. After talking with the organization, council vice-president Clyde Compton said the food bank is anticipating an additional 30% increase in demand from January through March.
That prompted outgoing council member Nellie Meek, who will be replaced by John Walstad next month, to propose that the town provide $1,000 to the food bank every month through all of 2021.
However, that may not be legal because that money is not part of the town’s 2021 budget, Compton said. In addition, there are statutes that limit how much food one food pantry can receive at one time,” he said.
After discussion, the town council voted to provide the food bank $1,000 a month from January through March, as well as assign a council liaison to the food bank. If that liaison still sees a large need in March, the council can provided additional funds at that time, Compton said.
For more on this story, see Monday’s Republic.
