Community food pantries in need of donations

Dec. 1, 2020 | Miasha Lee

WESTERN MASS.  – This holiday season, food pantries in the community are running their services differently due to COVID-19 and are in need of canned goods.

Neighbors Helping Neighbors is serving people in South Hadley and Granby outside. The organization has a no contact system where folks stay in their cars. Neighbors Helping Neighbors is a client-choice pantry, and continues to be client-choice through the pandemic. They have volunteers who read the menu to families in the car. Their order then goes into the building, the order is filled and the volunteers put it in their car for the client.

"That's something we're going to stick with for the winter," Director of Operations Mary Lou Guarnera answered. "We have small spaces inside this building which means there would have to be a long line standing outside. We have a lot of elderly and disabled people and I don't want them standing outside in the winter weather. We're having them stay in their cars and we'll take the hit of the cold weather."

Neighbors Helping Neighbors is approaching their tenth anniversary, originally opening its doors on Jan. 22 of 2011. They had a total of 40 volunteers.

"We lost most of our volunteers because most of them fell into the brackets where they would be more susceptible," responded Guarnera. "We had to get new volunteers. Fortunately for us there were a number of teachers and students who found themselves unemployed and wanted to do something meaningful, so we were staffed pretty much by teachers and students. They've all gone back to school, and right now we're looking for more volunteers. We've had such an influx of new clientele that we're having a hard time keeping up with everything."

The pantry is in search of hams because they intend to hand them out for the holidays. They also are in need of canned fruit, hot cereal, pasta, canned protein such as tuna, chicken, canned corn beef, chili or beef stew.

During this holiday, the pantry will provide kids' bags for every time a parent comes. This is a bag for every school-aged student in the family, filled with breakfast foods, lunch foods and snacks.

"It's meant to help with the breakfast and lunch that students aren't getting in school," Guarnera said. "Not all the kids are getting the lunches that the schools are providing and we're trying to take up that slack. It's something we've always done during the summer and vacation weeks, but at this point it's never ending."

Neighbors Helping Neighbors is planning for this to continue indefinitely. Though Guarnera explained that's not meant to be a negative observation, she said it's wise to expect that this might continue and to plan for it.

"A lot of people are shy about coming," Guarnera replied. "The first time is hard, but I think we're so friendly we just overcome their fear of coming. We're very generous and we have frozen meat, produce, dairy in addition to all our non-perishables."

She added, "We don't limit people from coming. My rule here is – you may not be hungry. What that means is if people need to come every week or twice a week, that's what they have to do. I can't deal with people being hungry."

Community members can drop off items on Wednesday or Saturday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at 30 Carew St. in South Hadley in the United Methodist Church. For information call 437–7593.

Margaret's Pantry in Holyoke is celebrating their fortieth year serving the community. The Pantry is named after Sister Margaret McCleary, SP, the founder of their ministry. Sister McCleary is recognized as amongst the first to take action with the issue of homelessness in the city of Holyoke.

"It's been absolutely crazy. There are no words to describe,” the amount of people they’ve been serving, expressed Manager Brenda Lamagdeleine. "Our numbers are astronomical. For the month of October, we served 2,030 people for 738 families and a 180,000 pounds of food. The year before we only served 462 families, 1,394 people and a 110,000 pounds of food. November and December in the prior years are usually our biggest months, and now with the pandemic I expect astonishing numbers."

Lamagdeleine went on to say, "We had families come into my office and be far away from me, but now that the city of Holyoke has been in the red and the cases are higher, for my own safety, for me and my volunteers, it's outside my door so nobody comes into my office."

Due to high cases in Holyoke, volunteers can no longer help clients bring packages to their car. The clients have to come to the pantry and get their food to their cars.

She made a point of thanking the Western Food Bank for allocating funds to Margaret’s Pantry, and the farmers around the area for providing them with plenty of vegetables.  "The things we're most in need of still is meal makers, like Hamburger Helper, stuffing, potatoes, pasta roni. Those kinds of food for people other than the holiday they can make a different meal," Lamagdeleine replied. "Cake mix, brownie mixes, cookie mixes, pancake mix that you can just use water – that goes a long way."

She added that they still need vegetables, soups and jelly, as well as meals in a can like, chili, ravioli and hash.

"We're doing the best we can do. We're getting our food drive in this December," Lamagdeleine said. "Our food drives are plentiful. They're usually the ones that always do it and are still doing it. It's just a different way now because everything has to be sterilized and washed. It's a new world out there."

Though limited, Margaret's Pantry will run their Christmas program this year with a lot donated gifts coming in. However, Lamagdeleine mentioned, "Churches are not in full session, one of our bigger donations for Christmas, and people are not wanting to go out and shop. We're asking for Walmart or Target gift cards to give to families, or if they want to get any general toy if they're able to go shopping, I'll find a place for the toy. The only thing that I require [for someone interested in receiving gifts for children] is that they bring me the [child in needs] birth certificate and it's 12 years old and under."

The deadline for request for presents is Dec. 11. If there's an emergency, Lamagdeleine can take those children and families as long as she has presents for them. She said she will pull families names until Dec. 23 in a lottery system, as they have so many families, they are unsure if they can get enough gifts for all clients until the presents come in.

"In 15 years of being here, it seems everything gets crazier, harder and sadder to watch families I have seen for so many years struggling more, and kids don't seem to smile much more with all of what they are missing in today's world,” Lamagdeleine said.

Her hope, she said, is to maintain the pace the pantry is going and serve the community the best possible way they can.

Items can be dropped off Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., though Tuesday and Thursday mornings are the best times, she explained. Monetary donations can be made to Margaret's Pantry in care of Brenda at 56 Cabot St. in Holyoke. With that money, the pantry can buy more for the money they receive.

For those interested in learning more about Margaret’s Pantry or would like to volunteer, they can be reached at 538-8026.

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