Eastworks hosts food drive to benefit ECC

Dec. 28, 2020 | Angelica Core
Angelica@thereminder.com

EASTHAMPTON – Eastworks is hosting a food drive for the Easthampton Community Center (ECC), The Comfort Food Drive that started Dec. 21 and will run until Jan. 31, 2021.

Eastworks’ goal is to get 2,000 non-perishable items donated to the ECC. Eastworks Director of Operations Shae Blaisdell said ECC Executive Director Robin Bialecki said there is a demand for comfort foods such as pasta, pasta sauce, macaroni and cheese, soups, and canned goods. According to a post on Eastworks’ Facebook page, the center is also in need of gluten-free items.

The donation bins are located on the first floor of Eastworks outside of The Life Salon, suite 130, and Riff’s Joint Restaurant, suite 158, and will be emptied daily.

Eastworks is also accepting monetary donations and its goal is to get $2,000 to donate to buy any other items they need. Blaisdell said Eastworks will match monetary donations, dollar for dollar, up to $2,000. Checks made payable to the ECC can be dropped off in the rent box at the Eastworks office, suit 320, or if donors prefer to make a PayPal donation on the center’s website, www.easthamptoncommunitycenter.org, and then email their receipt to reception@eastworks.com so that the donations can be matched.

Blaisdell said they were looking at Eastworks staff and noticed that everyone’s morale was low. “While we are fortunate enough to be able to continue to work safely, we were still feeling isolated and defeated. There was a feeling that we were not winning in any aspect. Some of our tenants are struggling. Many of us have family members struggling. It was overwhelming and I do not think any of us knew really how to feel like anything we were doing mattered,” Blaisdell said. “I discussed the morale issue with the Eastworks owner Will Bundy and he suggested we find a way to give back and perform some sort of service. So, we reached out to ECC and put together the Comfort Food Drive.”

Blaisdell said the need is incredibly great right now. “Prior to the pandemic shutdown, 30 percent of children in Easthampton Public Schools were living below the poverty level.”

Due to unemployment and food insecurity, the ECC is now serving 2,000 families each month and Blaisdell said the longer the pandemic keeps people out of work due to health or safety reasons, the greater the need will be.

People can drop off their donations from 8 a.m. until 10 p.m.

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