North Adams Workers, Students Donate 800 Pounds of Food to Pantry
 Boxes are unloaded at the Friendship Pantry with Mayor Richard Alcombright and his administrative assistant Rosemari Dickinson. |
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The city department food drive exceeded its goal by 200 pounds this year.
The boxes of goods — boxed stuffing, cans of fruits and vegetables, fruit juices and baking supplies — were donated at drop boxes at all the schools, the library, City Hall, the public safety building, city yard and the Spitzer Center.
School Department employees Gordon Tower, Russ Beauchamp and Jim McLain delivered the 816 pounds of food to the Friendship Pantry on Eagle Street on Friday morning.
"All of the departments kicked in," said Mayor Richard Alcombright. "The most is important piece is what these guys do here."
The volunteer pantry's entering its fourth year. It was established by the Northern Berkshire Interfaith Action Initiative after the closure of Berkshire County Action Council's North Berkshire office.
Rich Davis said the pantry's seen an increase in use. This past October was one of its busiest.
"This is more than what we've been doing, so we've seen an upsurge in the need," he said. "It's important."
About three-quarters of the food donations come from the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, and the balance from donations — individuals, supermarkets, Walmart, the city and the Postal Carrier food drives.
"They done such a tremendous job, they feed 190 families, and average a 160 to 170," the mayor said. "It's critically important to the area."
Davis agreed that the numbers of members have continued to rise at the pantry's Wednesday distributions.
"Some of the statistics you do see from the 2010 Census, a large percent, close to 25 percent, of the population of North Adams and this area falls in the poverty level," he said. "So there's a need
Ellen Sutherland, assistant to the superintendent and drive coordinator, said the schools connected with Mass in Motion coordinator Amanda Chilson to consider donations with nutritional value.
Davis said any healthy donations are welcome, but the pantry will take any food donations as well as personal care items such as soap and toothpaste.
"Any help from the community is appreciated and is important to us," he said. "Our members, they're grateful for anything we will offer them."
Correction: Rich Davis from the pantry spoke with iBerkshires. The original version incorrectly cited Kevin Tyree, also a volunteer at the pantry. iBerkshires apologizes for the mixup.
Tags: donations, food pantry,
