MARK WAITE / PVT A long line stretches down Emery Street at the Women, Infant and Children office as people wait to pick up commodities during a giveaway Nov. 15. Advertisement

Food giveaways at Thanksgiving and Christmas are an occasion for an annual photo opportunity by the media.

But less visible are the long lines standing down Emery Street in Pahrump -- a scene frankly reminiscent of the Great Depression -- lines that form every other month for the commodities giveaway.

The last giveaway began at 8 a.m. Nov. 15. By the time it ended, 842 people had stood in line to pick up non-perishable items like cans of salmon, green beans, sliced tomatoes, mixed fruit, peaches, beef stew, great northern beans, orange juice, rice, and peanut butter.

The Nevada State Food Distribution program has distributed $30,955 worth of food this year in Pahrump, according to program specialist Wanda Shepherd.

"The distribution program sends set items. We have no choice in what we get," said Clelia Garrity, executive director of the Nevada Outreach Training Organization.

The number of people waiting for commodities this month was up from 569 during the September giveaway, when they ran short on food.

Back then the groceries included canned chicken, cans of cream corn, apricots, pears, pinto beans, tomatoes, grapefruit juice, peanut butter and spaghetti.

"It's just a little supplemental to get them through," Shepherd said.

In May, 796 people showed up in Pahrump for the commodities giveaway, she said.

Recipients have to show Nevada identification and sign a declaration their household income doesn't exceed 150 percent of federal poverty guidelines. Shepherd said for a family of two that means gross income of under $1,750 per month.

Shepherd said it's possible supplies can run out.

"It's based on the commodities we have in and their anticipation. Whatever their number of participation is, we give them a certain increase. The numbers are never the same in two months' distribution. It depends on the people. Sometimes they show up, sometimes they don't," she said. "Starting now, it's beginning to pick up a little bit more than it has the last couple months."

Recipients standing in line in Pahrump this month had their own hard-luck stories.

"I came from Idaho at the end of September, came here to get a job and nothing. We got jobs working for the Salvation Army as Christmas bell-ringers," said Theresa Cummings, who arrived with her friend Tracy Ponn.

Mike Jones, a retiree from Sacramento, Calif., said it helps supplement his Social Security payments.

"It had been put in my mind there was work available down here and there's nothing down here," Jones said. "There was a lot of construction work going on down here but not much else, and then last year that pretty much dried up too."

Don Kapfer said he was laid off recently at Death Valley National Park but, luckily, picked up some work painting his landlord's apartments in exchange for rent.

"There's a couple local food banks that help us out, charitable ones," Kapfer said. "All we have to do is show ID and need. So that's good. You get by."

Tim Jones, a carpenter, said he's been out of work for a long time, just doing side jobs.

"My daddy owned a wrecking yard and I was helping him around the wrecking yard, but we're shutting it down, cleaning up and getting ready to sell the property, way out on Bell Vista," Jones said.

Linda Wertsbaugh, who moved to Pahrump from Menomonee Falls, Wis., said, "They make it a requirement that you got to come to this if you go to the food pantry at all, otherwise they won't help you out.

"Here you get mainly canned stuff. But we were able to sign up for the Thanksgiving dinner and the Christmas dinner."

Alan Wertsbaugh said he has a mental disability.

"We have five kids so every little bit helps," he said.

Linda Wertsbaugh added, "You sure don't get much from the welfare system out here."

Valerie Goetz said it was her second visit to the commodities giveaway.

"The last time I was here was maybe about nine months ago, perhaps even a year, and there was nobody around. This is just what's showing you what's happening with the economy," Goetz said.

Goetz, a former truck driver, said she's living on full disability after a bad wreck.

The state food distribution takes place in every county in Nevada except Storey County, Shepherd said, Nye County has four locations in Pahrump, Amargosa Valley, Beatty and Tonopah.

Commodity giveaways are scheduled next year in January, March, May, July, September and November.