TOLEDO, Ohio — As the United Auto Workers strike nears the one-month mark, members on the picket line say they are feeling the increasing financial toll on their wallets and their kitchens.
So, the SeaGate Food Bank of Northwest Ohio is helping to put food on their tables.
Jessica Sanchez was on the picket line Wednesday. On Thursday, she took her son to go grocery shopping at the food bank.
"We got bagels. We got bacon. We got plums. He got some cookies, some chips, things he's actually going to eat," Sanchez said.
Typically, the food bank is open exclusively to veterans every Tuesday and Thursday at noon. But during the third week of the UAW strike, SeaGate began including auto workers on the picket line.
"There was a need. We work very closely with all of our unions, including Local 12," said Mindy Rapp, the SeaGate Food Bank's executive director. "They're very, very gracious and kind to us and they provide a lot of things for us and help us out, so we're just here to help them."
When the pantry began serving the strikers last week, workers say there was a line out the door.
"Tuesday, we probably had right around 25 people come in. Thursday a little bit more, maybe about 35. [Wednesday] was about 40," Rapp said.
Sanchez said the food bank is very helpful to auto workers like her who need to feed themselves and others.
"It helps out a lot because food is definitely what my child needs every day, so this is very helpful," she said.
For some strikers, asking for a helping hand isn't easy, but they are thankful.
The SeaGate Food Bank of Northwest Ohio on High Street in south Toledo is open exclusively to striking UAW members and veterans from noon to 1 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays.