Volunteers Keep Friendship Food Pantry Going
 Mark Lincourt took on the volunteer job of running the Friendship Center Food Pantry. |
"Volunteerism is important in developing your work ethic," said Mark Lincourt, who is now a full-time volunteer with several projects after retiring a couple of years ago from his job of 32 years. Before retiring, Mark did volunteer work with the United Way as a member of its board and with his church, All Saints Episcopal Church in North Adams.
As Lincourt retired, he felt volunteering was important, but he didn't really know where to turn without a volunteer center or an easy way to find how to volunteer, so he looking. His connections with the Northern Berkshire Community Coalition and with his church led him to get involved with the Interfaith Action Initiative as it formed.
His passion, leadership, and organizational skills led Lincourt to be a founder in the formation of the new volunteer-led food pantry, which was desperately needed when Berkshire County Action Council had to close the local pantry because of staffing and budget cuts.
Friendship Center's volunteers now number more than 50 and what started from scratch a year ago, now serves more than 760 households in Northern Berkshire. That puts the center in the category of an "Extra Large Food Pantry," according to food pantry standards. And who would have known that the pantry would grow to these numbers in less than a year in operation.
"The Interfaith Action Initiative members visited the Adams food pantry site and we were told that they had 700 people on their logs," said Lincourt, the food service coordinator and also this year's Martin Luther King Peacemaker Award recipient. "I thought, 'good grief, how is that possible?' and look at the numbers we are now serving."
But it is not just giving out food on Wednesdays when the pantry in North Adams is open; there is much more, ever so much more that goes on behind the scenes with the core group of volunteers.
Lincourt finds himself putting in 20 hours a week or more in organizing the food pantry. On Mondays, they order food from the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts. On Tuesdays, Lincourt, usuually acompanied by Steve Green, drive to Pittsfield to pick up a van or truck with food at BCAC in Pittsfield, drive it to North Adams for unloading and restocking of the shelves, then back to Pittsfield to return the van.
Rich Davis picks up donated bread from Stop & Shop and Big Y on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Other days they have to inventory needs and shop for food. Lincourt often drives to PriceRite and BJ's in Pittsfield or Aldi's market in Bennington.
"I look at deal's and keep track of what prices I got from my receipts, look through the circulars, then figure out where to shop," said Lincourt. "I never did this kind of job [coupons and shopping for deals] until it became a necessity. We have to get the best deal we can to make the donations go as far as they can.
"We have to get mostly canned or nonperishable food, but I also try to look at which goods carry less salt, sodium, and/or lower cholesterol, besides looking at the prices. We try to get items that people can use to prepare healthy meals. Instructions or recipes are included when needed or when we have them."
 Bob Buhner, Susan Crampton, Kim Seward and Jake Loffner help out. |
It takes a lot of donations and help to have enough food necessary to serve all the families in need of its services. In January, it was the Martin Luther King Day of Service collection that saved the day. The food never came in from Western Massachusetts that week for some reason and the pantry did not get a delivery. But they did receive more than 900 pounds of food from collection and were able to serve the many families who came that Wednesday.
The thing that strikes you when you go to the Friendship Center, is the friendly, warm atmosphere. Folks are talking, gently kidding one another or munching on what Lincourt calls "fluff" as they wait for their order to be filled. It might be cookies, or candy canes with holiday notes or whatever little tasty items were donated. But they taste good and people enjoy them.
What keeps Lincourt going he said, "is knowing that I am helping someone to help themselves. They will take the food home and cook it. It is a good feeling. And the coolest part is that you don't need to go through a big process to qualify to get food at the pantry. It is simple and fast to sign up if you need it."
The pantry marked its anniversary on Feb. 11, the date of its first food delivery; the pantry's doors opened on Eagle Street a year ago March 1. Donations from individuals, local stores, churches, the synagogue and many organizations and groups are what keep the pantry going. The pantry will continue to need more in order to continue its service to the people of Northern Berkshire.
The Friendship Center Food Pantry says THANKS to all of you for your donations and support over the past year and in the years ahead.
Tags: food drive, food pantry,
