Williamstown Food Pantry Readies Christmas Donations
 Volunteers tackle the task of assembling Christmas food baskets for families who are assisted by the Williamstown Food Pantry on Wednesday morning at Sts. Patrick and Raphael Parish. |
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — It wasn't a Sunday, but the parish center of Sts. Patrick and Raphael was bustling Wednesday with volunteers of all ages carrying out the work of God this holiday season.
Under the direction of Carol DeMayo, the Williamstown Food Pantry was preparing to give out food baskets, clothing and other items to families in need. Volunteers ranging from young homeschooled children to retired church volunteers helped sort through canned food, fresh fruit and vegetables, clothing and more on Wednesday morning in preparation for the families coming through the parish center that afternoon. Items purchased at Price Chopper to fill the baskets were delivered by the Village Ambulance crew.
The pantry has been helping the community for more than 28 years, DeMayo said, and is run by volunteers who help collect donations of items and money.
"Every penny that comes in goes to help families, mostly in food, once in a while in a few other areas," DeMayo said.
Just like the families it serves, the food pantry has volunteers from all walks of life, from all religions. Organizations, stores and students all donate to the food pantry, but most of the donations come from families wanting to help families less fortunate.
"Our basic families help other families," DeMayo said.
The Christmas baskets were filled with everyday canned goods like tuna fish and peanut butter, and families would also be able to take some fresh produce and a turkey or ham for Christmas dinner. Anything left over from the thousands of items that filled the parish center on Wednesday would be stored in the small pantry for emergencies and to start off next year's bi-weekly distributions.
And that's why although the pantry is happy to get donations around the holidays, they do continue to serve people year-round.
"They can be very small, or they can be quite large, and we appreciate everything," DeMayo said. "We always put things to use. If we can't use it for whatever reason, we find where it can go. We try to find a home."
DeMayo has an analogy she likes to use for the relationship between the community and the families the food pantry serves.
"I think of it as a giant wagon wheel," she said. "We're all running around on the outside and then we shoot down the slopes with macaroni and cheese, peanut butter, extra clothing, appliances, linens for somebody who lost their home in a fire ... and it goes to the cog of the wheel, and that's our families."
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