Stepping up to help fill others’ plates

Instead, the Gloucester resident uses time that she would have spent showing houses to volunteer at The Open Door, a Gloucester food pantry that also serves Essex, Ipswich, Manchester, and Rockport.

“I wanted to keep myself out and about and not sit home worrying about whether I’ll have any business or not,’’ she said. “So many people have been hunkering down and feeling miserable, but volunteering has made me feel good about myself.’’

On a recent Thursday morning, Delaney worked a two-hour shift distributing food and advising pantry users on how to get the most from their allotted groceries. Other volunteers stocked shelves, unloaded truckloads of food, and scoured newspapers for coupons.

“It’s extremely hard for people to ask for something, and if we can make it easier or be kinder to them, I think that’s a great thing,’’ she said.

A new flock of volunteers like Delaney is a timely boost to food pantries, which are facing the annual problem of increased holiday demand, exacerbated this season by decreasing donations because of the recession. Demand for services has jumped 20 to 30 percent across the region over the last year, according to pantry directors.

“There’s a need for volunteers more than ever,’’ said Julie LaFontaine, the executive director of The Open Door. “The face of the food pantry client is changing in that people who were on the donor side are getting in line to be on the receiving end.’’

Besides individual volunteers, The Open Door uses groups, including students with mental and physical disabilities from Gloucester High School.

“They are in a position where they get helped a lot and this is a way for them to give back,’’ said Erin Turner, who coordinates the students’ involvement at the pantry.

LaFontaine said visits to the pantry, which was founded in 1978, rose 25 percent this year.

“It means everything to me,’’ said Jamillia McCurdy, of Gloucester, who has been coming to the Open Door since 2006. “The pantry’s a lifeline without which I don’t think I would be able to survive.’’At the Merrimack Valley Food Bank, which provides food to pantries in 29 Massachusetts and New Hampshire communities, the number of people seeking food assistance increased 30 percent from last year while donations dropped 35 percent, said Amy Pessia, the food bank’s executive director. But volunteer hours increased from 727 for July-November 2008 to 1,580 from this July through mid-November, said Amy Pessia, the food bank’s executive director.

“This is probably the most demand we’ve seen in our existence, so we need to work extra hard to get enough food in here,’’ Pessia said, noting the food bank distributed 1.8 million meals last fiscal year.

Increased awareness during the holiday season has brought in more donations, but food is needed year-round, especially in February and March, when heating bills are high, and the summer months, when children are home from school.

The problem is especially challenging in suburban communities where poverty is less visible, said Sandy Donovan, director of Chelmsford Community Exchange, a food pantry serving people in Greater Lowell.

“Someone may have just lost their job, but they are still going to come home to the same house in their same car,’’ Donovan said. “You can’t judge the book by its cover.’’

High demand forced Our Neighbor’s Table in Amesbury to narrow its focus to Amesbury residents, although it is open once a month to people in surrounding communities, said Joan Bukoskey, the pantry’s assistant director.

But volunteers have not been an issue as the pantry, which relies on about 80 volunteers, gained 10 helpers in the past few months, Bukoskey said.

“This is the first time we’re not actively searching,’’ she said. “People come out of the woodwork with donations and jump in when you least expect them.’’

At the Somerville Homeless Coalition, which runs the Project Soup free supper program, officials observed a spike in volunteers after last year’s presidential election. There has been less interest this fall, said executive director Mark Alston-Follansbee.

“We’re especially looking for groups that can do food drives for us, because we’re having a hard time keeping our inventory up,’’ said Alston-Follansbee, noting Project Soup serves more than 300 families a month, up from 250 six months ago.

“So far we’ve been able to meet the need, but it scares me, because at some point we’re going to hit a wall,’’ he said.

In the Lawrence and Methuen area, where state data show the unemployment rate rose from 8.8 percent in September 2008 to 14.1 percent in September 2009, Neighbors in Need serves 560 families each week, up 20 to 30 percent from last year, said Linda Zimmerman, the director of the nonprofit that supports seven local food pantries.

Donations and volunteers are also increasing, thanks to new involvement from Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops, schools, and nursing homes, Zimmerman said.

“On the one hand I’m overwhelmed by the demand and heartbroken by the stories I hear, but at the same time I’m surprised by the people that come forward,’’ she said. “People are paying attention and they’re willing to help.’’

Back in Gloucester, Delaney said she expects to continue volunteering even if real estate activity increases.

“I really feel like I’ve had a great year because of this,’’ she said. “I don’t know if I would go back to the way it used to be.’’