BIDDEFORD — On Tuesday, Steven (whose last name is withheld at his request) visited the Friends of Community Action Food Pantry on Elm Street looking for food items for himself and his daughter.

He doesn’t come to the food pantry all the time, said the man, who works full-time as a cook at the University of New England. But when his cupboards are bare, he’s glad to have a place to go to get groceries for his daughter and himself.

“This helps me out,” said Steven. “Even though I’m a full-time cook, the price of living is really going up.”

Because of the current economy, the pantry is serving more and more people who never thought they would need help, said Susan Riley, the vice president of the organization. Riley’s mother, Rita, opened the Friends of Community Action in 1981 and it was the first food pantry to open in the state, said Susan Riley.

But now the pantry itself needs help.

Friends of Community Action is in desperate need of monetary and/or food donations as well as volunteers, said Susan Riley.

Because of the rising cost of food, the growing needs of all non-profit organizations, the loss of a significant donor, and increased need, Friends of Community Action is in danger of closing its doors.

Already it has been forced to reduce the amount of food that it provides to its clients.

The organization spends an estimated $3,000 a month to purchase the food necessary to serve its clientele, said manager Don Bisson. Then there are additional expenses like rent, and the fuel to run the trucks that pick up food, which is purchased at a reduced price from Good Shepherd Food Bank in Westbrook. There’s no money to fill their oil tank, he said.

According to Bisson, if no additional money is raised, the 30-year-old food pantry only has enough food to serve its clients for four to six more months.

With rising unemployment, the food pantry is busier than ever, said Susan Riley. Friends of Community Action served 3,500 families in 2010 and that number is growing, said secretary Joanne Petrizzo.

Even middle class people are having difficulty making ends meet and need the food provided by Friends of Community Action, said Riley.

Recently, said Riley, she encountered a man who previously gave money to the food pantry every year. But after losing his job of 15 years, and with a wife and children to support, he’s now a client.

Previously the food pantry only served those who fell within certain income guidelines, said Riley. She ended those restrictions because many in the middle class also need help, she said.

“We don’t refuse anyone,” said Riley, although those who visit from other communities are also directed to their local food pantry.

Susan Riley took over operating the food pantry from her mother, who has health issues. Like her mother, Riley and all the others who work at Friends of Community Action volunteer their time.

“I do it,” said Bisson, “because I feel it’s doing God’s work.”

Friends of Community Action is located at 162 Elm St. in Biddeford. Its hours of operation are 9-11 a.m., Tuesday-Thursday, every week. Families or individuals are allowed to pick up food once a week. For more information, call 282-4771.

— Staff Writer Dina Mendros can be contacted at 282-1535, Ext. 324 or dmendros@journaltribune.com.