Local food pantries seeking holiday season donations

Nov. 17, 2020 | Carolyn Noel
carolynn@thereminder.com

SPRINGFIELD – Many local food pantries are seeking donations for the upcoming holiday season.

The Community Survival Center located in Indian Orchard is one organization looking for both food and monetary donations. According to Executive Director of Community Survival Center Mary Cassidy, they are in short supply of Thanksgiving sides. Items like cranberry sauce, gravy, stuffing, canned vegetables and non perishables are greatly needed.

To donate to the Community Survival Center, an appointment is not necessary. Anyone wishing to drop off donations can go to their 240 Main St. location in Indian Orchard between the hours of 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Fridays.

Monetary donations are also greatly appreciated as they help ensure their food pantry remains stocked, according to Cassidy. Donations can be made online at communitysurvivalcenter.org or checks can be sent to their address.

Cassidy said that the Community Survival Center has  greatly seen an increase in the number of new residents needing help.

“We’re seeing new clients who’ve never been to a food pantry before,” she said.

Due to COVID-19, the Community Survival Center has been serving their clients outside. This is to help keep everyone safe, but it has become harder with the cold months approaching.

“We’re looking to get something that would protect people from the elements to continue to serve people outside. We’re looking to protect everybody – staff, clients, donors, shoppers, everybody,” said Cassidy.

The money to build the shelter is being provided by the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts.

To donate to the Community Survival Center, an appointment is not necessary. Anyone wishing to drop off donations can go to their 240 Main St. location in Indian Orchard between the hours of 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Fridays.

Another organization seeking help from the local community this holiday season is Open Pantry Community Services.

Open Pantry has a Holiday Meals program that provides holiday meals for those in need on Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Each year, the meals are given out at Commerce High School in Springfield. This year, due to COVID-19, the Thanksgiving meal will be offered grab-and-go style. Those in need of food can come to the school at noon and take a boxed, prepared meal home.

According to Terry Maxey, agency director at Open Pantry Community Services, they are currently in need of financial donations.

“That gives us the ability to go out and we can acquire the foods from vendors. We have a very diverse population that we serve, so we make sure that we provide foods that are culturally accepted,” he said.

Those interested in donating can donate online at http://www.openpantry.org/ or send a check to their 287 State St. P.O. Box

Open Pantry Community Services also has several donation opportunities available before Thanksgiving approaches, according to Maxey. The pantry will be hosting their Mayflower Marathon on the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday before the holiday. This event is run by Bax & O’Brien from the Rock 102 radio station. Bax & O’Brien broadcast live for fifty two hours in order to raise funds for the pantry.

The Mayflower Marathon donations usually take place in the parking lot of the Basketball Hall of Fame, but due to COVID-19, they will be accepted over the phone or online instead. Anyone wishing to donate over the phone during the event is encouraged to call 293-1021. More information on the event can be found at  https://rock102.com/mayflower-marathon.

Open Pantry Community Services is also holding their ninth “Stuffing the Pantry” event, which is a 5K race and two-mile walk. This year, it will be taking place virtually. In order to raise funds for the pantry, registration for the event requires a $25 donation fee plus food donation for those 19 and older. Those 18 and younger are required to pay $20 plus a food donation to participate.

Stuffing the Pantry will take place on Nov. 23 through Nov. 29. Since the event will have no spectators this year due to COVID, those wishing to track participants can use the RaceJoy app.

According to information on Stuffing the Pantry’s website, “Use the RaceJoy app for advanced tracking of participants and show your support with cheer sending. Participants set up for tracking in RaceJoy and carry their phone as they complete the course. Spectators track participants’ actual location in a map view and can send audio cheers. GPS-based progress alerts are typically issued at every mile along the course. Participants need to opt-in for spectators to track them in RaceJoy.”

Those interested in learning more about the event or registering for it are encouraged to visit http://www.stuffingthepantry.org/registration.html.

Rachel’s Table, the food rescue program of the Jewish Federation of Western Massachusetts, will be greatly helping many residents receive food for Thanksgiving this year.  The mission of Rachel’s Table is to help reduce food waste in Western Massachusetts and alleviate hunger within the community. This year, Rachel’s Table will be providing 1310 turkeys to 29 local agencies that serve the hungry. This is more than double of what they provided last year.

Arnold’s Meats will be delivering the turkeys to area food pantries, shelters, and soup kitchens in Hampden, Hampshire, and Franklin Counties.

Those interested in donating or learning more information on this and other programs, are encouraged to call 733-0084 or visit rachelstablepv.org.

Rachel’s Table will be providing The Gray House of Springfield one hundred full turkey dinners including stuffing, vegetables and fixings. To read more about The Gray House’s Thanksgiving drive and donation needs, visit https://www.thereminder.com/localnews/springfield/the-gray-house-seeks-turkey-donations-to-feed-neig/

Lorraine’s Soup Kitchen and Food Pantry in Chicopee is also seeking nonperishable and monetary donations through Lorraine’s Drive, a food drive started by Adam Quenneville of Adam Quenneville Roofing & Siding.

To read more about this drive, visit  https://www.thereminder.com/localnews/chicopee/lorraines-soup-kitchen-and-food-pantry-seeks-donat/.

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