Stockpiling a year's worth of groceries might seem like a doomsday prophecy, especially in light of the hubbub over the apocalypse that never came a couple of months ago.
To members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, however, stockpiling supplies is much more than preparing for the end of the world.
For more than 60 years, church members have stored food for emergency purposes, such as a job loss, illness or a natural disaster.
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(Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski) Debbie Claar grinds wheat into flour to make bread.
In times of economic hardship, the reserves often come in handy for families.
The Claar family of Duncansville started building up its food stores in 1989 when Debbie Claar joined the church.
"It wasn't necessarily a national disaster. Any time we come upon hard times, we would need a reserve of food," Debbie said.
And, the Claars have fallen upon hard times. In the early 1990s, Debbie and her husband, Woody, worked as carpenters, so the winters were slim pickings for work.
Many times the Claars, who have five children - Meghan, 28, Sarah, 26, Rebekah, 21, Rachel, 16, and Andrew, 13, - have delved into the food stores.
"We believe in being self-reliant and taking care of ourselves. This is one way to do it," Debbie said.
She compares this to the story of Joseph in Genesis 41.
Joseph interpreted the Pharaoh's dream that there would be famine in the land.
"He had a dream there would be lean times," Debbie said.
So, Joseph saved enough food to feed everyone in Egypt when the famine hit.
"We believe in revelations," said Jere Cross, bishop of the Altoona Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Lower Brush Mountain Road, Hollidaysburg.
"We believe we receive revelations from the Heavenly Father for us to do that. We don't base what we do on stories in the Bible. We base it on what we feel that the Heavenly Father revealed to modern-day prophets."
Modern-day prophets are leaders of the Mormon Church, who often receive revelations from God and pass them on to church members. There is also a verse in the Mormon book, "Doctrine and Covenants," which was given to the church's first prophet Joseph Smith, that asks church members to be prepared.
Will Thompson of Duncansville has been keeping extra pantry shelves full since he joined the church 31 years ago.
Thompson used the food while he was laid off from the railroad for a few months many years ago. More recently, the Thompsons used their water supply when they had well problems.
Water is one of the main necessities for stockpiling and Will and his wife, Terri, store tap water in used two liter soda bottles.
Along with water, church members store canned goods, wheat flour, rice, pasta and anything else they might need. The first lesson people new to stockpiling learn is to only store foods they like and to rotate the food is important.
Debbie found her family needed something sweet at the end of the day while they were using their stockpiled food, so she always makes sure to have cocoa on hand.
"Buy food that you like," Debbie said.
The Claars also have a grill and plenty of oil to prepare food in case of the loss of electricity.
Terri Thompson has her stockpiling down to a science. The family stores food in a large pantry.
All the new canned goods are dated and stored on the right side of the pantry, and the older food that needs to be used is to the left. Terri uses frosting tubs from local bakeries to store rice and oatmeal.
"You have to make sure you're using everything you're storing," Terri said.
The Claars keep frozen and dehydrated food on hand, and they also preserve fruits and vegetables from their garden.
They have a room in the basement where they store food, but extra room is hard to find.
"When our house was smaller, we put it wherever we could," Debbie said.
Storage is a problem for some families, so they store food under beds, in closets, in garages or basements, Cross said.
It's not necessary to buy an entire year's worth of food at one time, Cross said. Instead, buy a little extra every time you go to the store.
Terri also waits for sales, and she likes to buy in bulk.
She estimates that she and Will have stored a two-year supply of food.
"I go above and beyond with everything. You can never have too much. You do what the Lord asks," Terri said.
"And, with food prices going sky high and with the way the economy is going, it might go kaput," Will said.
