AGAWAM – Agawam High School National Honors Society (NHS) students participated in a food drive event during the week of March 1 to help The Gray House in Springfield.

According to NHS Co-Advisor Mary Bonavita, the school organization was looking to help local nonprofits who may need assistance acquiring specific food items. One of the guidance counselors at Agawam High School provided NHS with a list of non-profit organizations in the area. They landed on The Gray House because Bonavita and Co-Advisor Andrea Persson found out that the human service agency spearheads their own active food pantry.

“They have been so nice to work with,” said Bonavita, with regard to their relationship with The Gray House. “It worked out very easily for us.”

During the week of March 1, NHS students collected food items from other students during study hall periods, and then conducted a food drive after school on March 2 and March 4 so residents could have the chance to donate their own items. The after-school food drives were at the high school.

Bonavita asked students who participate in remote learning to spread the word about the food drive through Facebook since they could not attend the food drive in person.

“We asked students who were either remote or unable to be in-person to make posters, and use social media as the way to advertise this [food drive] for us,” said Bonavita. “That way, they were able to fill their requirements remotely.”

The Gray House provided a list to NHS of the food items they specifically needed. Many of these food items specifically pertain to the population that resides around The Gray House.

“Obviously our clients are happy with whatever foods they receive,” said Kristen McClintock, executive director at The Gray House. “But if we’re able to give them foods that they enjoy, then that’s our goal.”

Since the area surrounding The Gray House features a heavy Hispanic population, McClintock said that she wanted to acquire certain foods that reflect their tastes. The list of food items included, cereal, oatmeal, pancake mix, pasta and sauce, flavored rice, soups and stews, peanut butter and jelly, tuna fish, canned fruits and vegetables, goya beans, and baby food/formula. Other non-expired food items were also accepted throughout the food drive, according to Bonavita.

“We’re one of the poorest areas in the entire state of Massachusetts,” said McClintock, who added that almost 50 percent of The Gray House clients are at or below the poverty level. “As terrible as COVID has been, we really have seen our surrounding communities rally and really support those who are the most vulnerable.”

According to Bonavita, by March 3, NHS had already collected four to five tables worth of food items, with some tables even stacked three or four items high.

“We are blown away by the amount of donations that have come in,” said Bonavita. “I don’t think we expected such a great turnout by the school or the community in general.”

McClintock expressed her appreciation for local high school and college students who have reached out to The Gray House to ask if they needed help with the food pantry or other programs. With vaccines coming in, she hopes that The Gray House will be able to offer more in-person services for programs uch as their after-school program for children, as well as their Adult Education Program.

According to McClintock, their curbside no contact method for food distribution has worked out really well, too. “Our families love it actually,” she said. “They like it better than the old system, so we’ll continue that.”

As for NHS, Bonavita said that her students plan on participating in a clothing drive in the near future. Details for that will come out soon. In the meantime, both The Gray House and NHS will continue to assist any way they can during this pandemic.

“To have the support of local community schools and businesses going forward…That’s going to help us meeting the challenges,” said McClintock. “When we get this kind of support, we know that whatever challenge we face, we can continue serving the people in our community.”