image description — The process for serving people through the mobile food bank requires plenty of volunteers and a safety protocols.

Western Mass Mobile Food Bank Serves Through Pandemic

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
01:03AM / Wednesday, October 14, 2020Print Story | Email Story

Huge boxes of squash arrive at the Visitors Center for distribution.

ADAMS, Mass. — Rain or shine, volunteers have continued to distribute food from the mobile food bank throughout the pandemic.

Not even a rainy day can stop the mobile food bank and Tuesday volunteers were out in full force making hundreds of deliveries.

"You can see that people need this," volunteer Karen Daigle said. "There is a joy to helping people and being part of this community. It is important to give back."

The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts' Mobile Food Bank visits the Adams Council on Aging every second and fourth Tuesday of the month. The program reaches underserved populations throughout Western Massachusetts who don't have access to healthy foods.

Before COVID-19, people would line up, grab a bag of food, and be off but now the operation is far more complex. Cars park in the Visitors Center's parking lot or the Waverly Mill parking lot and a volunteer delivers a bag of food.

"We do both parking lots," volunteer Greg Lucia said. "We have crews. One does this parking lot and one goes the other way. When that empties out we all come up here and try to finish it off."

Council on Aging Director Erica Girgenti said this limits contact and the congregation of large crowds but takes a bit more manpower. She said before the pandemic, only a group of 10 or so volunteers would be needed. Now they need about 30.

Girgenti said the Council on Aging has about 40 volunteers on file and, on Tuesday, 35 were on-site in rain gear ready to deliver food to the hundred or so cars in the queue.

"COVID-19 changed the way we did things," she said. "... It was overwhelming we had to turn down some volunteers because we can't have so many people that we are on top of each other."

In the past, the COA has served more than 350 households on a single day, and Girgenti said Tuesday looked to be ramping up quickly by 10 a.m.

Daigle lauded the organization of the food drop off and noted that it not only ran like a well-oiled machine but was safe.

Lucia agreed and said Adams has a history of stepping up to help the community.

"There are so many people out of work right now, and the little bit of food we do give does help," he said. "Adams has always been a great community for helping. You just put the word out and people step right up."

Tags: COA, food bank,

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Regional Trail Coordinator Barnes Retires After Four Decades With DCR

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires.com Staff
05:25AM / Monday, November 02, 2026

LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — The Department of Conservation and Recreation celebrated the retirement of Trails Supervisor Rebecca Barnes after four decades of service.

Friends and colleagues gathered in the Mount Greylock State Reservation Visitor Center and park offices on Wednesday to celebrate Barnes.

She began working at Mount Greylock State Reservation while in high school as a seasonal conservation helper, saying she fell in love with the place.

"Fell in love with Mount Greylock, and ever since I've been doing different jobs and different positions," said the Hoosac Valley graduate. "But I came full circle back to Mount Greylock at the end of the career, and I've been taking care of the forest and parks for 40 years now, and loving it, the trails, the campgrounds, the summit, the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail."

Priscilla Geigis, deputy commissioner for conservation and resource stewardship, wrote a song the group sang for Barnes, who she said has inspired her during the more than 20 years they've worked together.

"Becky is so enthusiastic. She's so kind. She's funny. She's creative. She's really passionate and she's really dedicated. And I will miss all of those qualities," said Geigis. "She really knows how to balance conservation and recreation. She is so committed to connecting people to our incredible resources, not just here at her beloved Greylock, but also throughout the state to really make that connection and to pass on that idea that everyone has a role to play in stewardship.

"And you can see that time and again with all of her work in mentoring our staff, in mentoring young people who are just starting out, mentoring volunteers, just really making that connection. And so she's a really hard worker. She she will do anything."

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