CUPBOARDS ALMOST BARE DEMAND SPIKES AT VALLEY FOOD BANK.

Byline: Dana Bartholomew Staff Writer

NORTH HOLLYWOOD - The Valley Food Bank's larder is almost bare, jeopardizing aid to an increasing number of San Fernando Valley poor, officials said.

Demand for food at the North Hollywood-based food bank has tripled among its network of 15 San Fernando Valley pantries, while canned donations have dropped precipitously since the tsunami devastated Southeast Asia on Dec. 26.

``We're running out of food,'' said Will Hernandez, director of the charity at the San Fernando Valley Mission. ``We attributed the drop in support to tsunami relief, but we have not seen it return.

``Every organization that I've talked to is struggling. ... At this rate, we'll run out in a month.''

The 4-year-old charity has seen a marked demand at such agencies as the Panorama Baptist Church pantry in Pacoima, which served 300 families in fiscal 2003-04, compared with 400 families in the fiscal year ended June 30.

At the Iglesia Evangelica Camino de Santidad pantry in San Fernando, the number of clients jumped from 70 families to 230 over the same period.

On the whole, demand at the Valley Food Bank rose from an average 400 families a week at 10 pantries a year ago, to 1,300 families at 15 pantries today.

At the Spirit of Hope food pantry in Granada Hills, the Rev. Juliet Porter handed out clothing and boxes of groceries last week from a small rustic porch.

``It's like a hidden paradise,'' said B. Diamond, 40, of Sunland, whose wife is on work-related disability for a back injury, as he loaded two boxes of groceries into his car. ``The pantry is wonderful.

``It's saved me and my wife's lives.''

A recent UCLA study found that 166,000 Valley adults were on the verge of hunger - about 10 percent of the population and more than a third of its low-income adults - largely because of unemployment and soaring housing costs.

``The food drives aren't doing it, because of the increase in demand,'' said La'Rae Cecil, director of the Panorama Baptist Church pantry.

Last week, Hernandez paced between rows of industrial shelves at his 10,000-square-foot warehouse at 13422 Saticoy St. Meanwhile, trucks dropped off loads of buttermilk, bread, potatoes and produce donated by Trader Joe's and Albertsons.

But it was the partially empty containers for canned staples and meats that most concerned the former McGraw-Hill executive, who followed a calling a year ago to help the needy.

``You can see these are almost empty,'' said Hernandez, 56, looking at the holes. ``That's the last of the macaroni, right there, good for three weeks.''

The Valley Food Bank is one of three pantry networks in the San Fernando Valley.

The Valley Interfaith Council serves 21; Catholic Charities serves four, although one of them, Loaves & Fishes, almost went under this month before it received last-minute support.

The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, which gives or sells food to Valley pantries, said that, despite a spike in demand across Los Angeles County, its shelves were full - though surplus canned, nonperishable donations have also decreased.

While fresh food may be healthier, officials say, it's more difficult to transport and store at the thousand pantries throughout the region.

``We're running out of room,'' said Darren Hoffman, spokesman for the Los Angeles regional bank, which had 3 million pounds of food, a 17-day supply. ``(But) the need is going up, so we're trying to get more room.''

Five years ago, the L.A. regional bank supplied 36 million pounds of food. In the fiscal year that ended in June, it supplied 45 million pounds.

Hoffman said food charities across the county have faced the same demand as Valley Food Bank pantries. As a result, they either must give less food, or turn people away.

But regional food bank officials said the increase seen by Valley Food Bank is more likely due to the newness of its charity rather than a whopping demand in hunger. On the whole, demand is up from 10 percent to 15 percent at more established pantries across Los Angeles County.

``Programs cannot experience 30 percent growth per year forever,'' said Michael Flood, executive director of the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank.

For the Revs. Juliet and William Porter, giving away food - no matter how great the demand - is God's work.

``I came to do the Lord's work - preach the Gospel,'' said Juliet Porter, a native of Guyana. ``But then I thought, how can I do the Lord's work if people are hungry?''

Dana Bartholomew, [phone]

dana.bartholomew(at)dailynews.com

HOW TO HELP

To assist the Valley Food Bank, call [phone], Ext. 3, or contact www.erescuemission.org.

CAPTION(S):

3 photos, box

Photo:

(1 -- color) Will Hernandez, director of the Valley Food Bank, shows nearly empty barrels for food items, in a time of high demand.

(2 -- color) Billy Wittenberg, who is homeless, discusses how the Valley Food Bank has helped him stay fed.

(3 -- color) A worker at the Valley Food Bank prepares to open the gate of a refrigerator truck delivering donations from Albertsons.

David Sprague/Staff Photographer

Box:

HOW TO HELP (see text)