Agawam, West Side food pantries continue to assist residents through hard times

Nov. 11, 2020 | Ryan Feyre
rfeyre@thewestfieldnewsgroup.com

The inside of the new Parish Cupboard in West Springfield is decorated with art to provide a more “homey” feel, according to Executive Director Martha Tighe.
Reminder Publishing photo by Ryan Feyre

WESTERN MASS. – The Massachusetts economy has been slow to recover due to the high unemployment rate precipitated by COVID-19.

Despite this ongoing problem, local food pantries in Agawam and West Springfield are adjusting accordingly, as they continue to assist local residents in need.

“We’re getting our food donations just fine, and people care,” said Martha Tighe, executive director of the Parish Cupboard, located at 1023 Main St., West Springfield. “A couple people who have gotten a corona check, and said they didn’t need it, have sent the whole check into us, which is very generous.”

Tighe said that, while they’re  still receiving notable financial donations, the pantry can always use more since they recently switched locations back in September.

“We’re still getting financial donations, we can always use more, because in our new place, we’re going to have greater costs than in the old building,” said Tighe.

The pantry’s old home base was a big three-story house on the corner of New Bridge Street in West Springfield. Tighe is very happy that the cupboard was able to move to Main Street in the fall.  

“It (the old location) was old, falling apart; it was tough on seniors coming in because of the stairs,” said Tighe. “We were going up and down stairs all day long.”

The new location is all one floor, which makes it easier for the employees and outside citizens to operate from a physical standpoint.

Structurally, nothing has changed much at the pantry. The organization’s goal is to still support needy families and individuals in the West Springfield, Feeding Hills and Agawam area through the Emergency Food Program and the Hot Lunch Program.

The Emergency Food Program, which runs from 9 to 11:15 a.m., Monday through Friday, offers groceries once a month to registered households who must prove residency. The food support is dependent on the donations they receive from people.

“We don’t ask them (the people who come in) personal questions,” said Tighe. “We just have to verify their address…We still get basically the same folks come every month, and we give them all the groceries we can give them.”

The Hot Lunch Program, which runs from 11:20 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, is where families and individuals in need can receive a “substantial and nutritious meal.”

“The lunches that we’re giving out are not children’s lunches,” said Tighe. “The cook is really doing a nice job, when they’re bagged lunches with sandwiches, they are loaded.”

Since residents aren’t allowed in the dining area due to the pandemic, the pantry hands out these meals to go. Just recently for example, the chef was handing out Sheppard’s pie in a Styrofoam container.

“For the pantry, we’re giving out more groceries,” said Tighe. “We’re really expanding the type of food we’re able to give out to the families. And if it’s a big family, then they get a little more than a single person.”

The Best Life Food Ministry at the Bethany Assembly of God in Agawam has also made slight adjustments to their approach during COVID-19. According to Aaron Norrick, director of operations at Bethany, the pantry definitely felt a slight impact in the beginning of shutdowns.

“It’s been maybe harder to get certain items that our patrons would like or would need,” said Norrick. “We’ve definitely found an increase of numbers [of patrons who visit the pantry].”

The pantry has also seen some ups and downs with regards to donations, but since they’re attached to the church, certain events have kept them afloat.

“We’ve been very blessed, because we have a congregation, we’ve been able to get some support there,” he said. “We’ve done some things, where people can bring their cooked food by the bumpers of their car, and we go out during the service to collect them.”

Norrick said that this approach has garnered a little more support, as well as partnering with a couple of other food vendors. The Western Food Bank has also gotten some extra funding, which is something that Bethany’s been able to slightly benefit from.

Much like at Parish Cupboard though, Bethany is also unable to allow people inside for dining, so they’ve been operating as a drive-through of sorts. And with the holidays fast approaching, Norrick is hoping they’ll receive as much help as possible.

“We’re going to continue to operate ‘abnormally,’ so to speak,” said Norrick. “Taking, hopefully, few extra donations during the holidays, and try to continue to be able to give those groceries to those individuals.”

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