Soldier On Kitchen Staff Worked Through Pandemic to Feed the Hungry

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The kitchen staff at Soldier On worked throughout the entirety of the pandemic and currently provides about 200 meals a day for those within and outside of the veterans facility.

In addition to the three meals that are served in house, the kitchen sends meals to Soldier On's Northampton location and to the homeless shelter at the former St. Joseph's School. 

"We don't say 'no,'" Executive Director of Food Services Jason Stump said. "We never say 'no.'"

At the beginning of the pandemic, the organization stepped in to help at the Northampton Veterans Affairs center after its kitchen fell ill with COVID-19 and has been continuing that service since. Ovens and shipping containers were purchased to prepare and transport the extra meals.  

Solider On veterans also helped set up the shelter at St. Joseph's and were asked to provide its meals. Stump said they provided all of the meals for about a year, slowed down for a period of time, and are currently ramping up operations again.

This work is all done by a handful of veterans who have found their passion in the kitchen, including Jeremy Gemmer and Ben Hamilton, who was featured in iBerkshire's Veteran Spotlight last year.

Gemmer has been cooking at Soldier On for about seven years and his specialty is Southern soul food.  Hamilton, who has been there about four years, serves breakfast and says his cheese grits are a hot ticket item.

Some 20 to 30 meals are served in the facility for breakfast and about 40 are for lunch. Dinner is when the kitchen gets busy, with upwards of 50 meals going out to the veterans.

Gemmer explained that the pandemic has changed the way that meal planning is done.

"Before pandemic, we had more free-flowing menus and the fact that we would make it up the same day that we're doing, you know, the start the week, it's like, 'OK, this is the menu,' and I put it in the order, or [Stump] will put in the order whoever and we would just make it like that," he said.

"But now with the pandemic and everything, we're trying to keep things on a bit more of a schedule so we're not running for time or running for a delivery problem, we've got into a more structured menu on a four-week rotation."

Stump said he has had three veterans come through the kitchen and move on to do other things, including one who is now working in the kitchen at a nursing home. His staff has been a mixture of people with prior experience and those who were ready to learn a new life skill or possible career.

Dalton Board Signs Off on Land Sale Over Residents' Objections

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
05:50AM / Tuesday, December 23, 2025

Residents demanded the right to speak but the agenda did not include public comment. Amy Musante holds a sign saying the town now as '$20,000 less for a police station.'

DALTON, Mass. — The Select Board signed the sale on the last of what had been known as the Bardin property Monday even as a handful of residents demanded the right to speak against the action. 

 

The quitclaim deed transfers the nine acres to Thomas and Esther Balardini, who purchased the two other parcels in Dalton. They were the third-highest bidders at $31,500. Despite this, the board awarded them the land in an effort to keep the property intact.

 

"It's going to be an ongoing battle but one I think that has to be fought [because of] the disregard for the taxpayers," said Dicken Crane, the high bidder at $51,510.

 

"If it was personal I would let it go, but this affects everyone and backing down is not in my nature." 

 

Crane had appealed to the board to accept his bid during two previous meetings. He and others opposed to accepting the lower bid say it cost the town $20,000. After the meeting, Crane said he will be filing a lawsuit and has a citizen's petition for the next town meeting with over 100 signatures. 

 

Three members of the board — Chair Robert Bishop Jr., John Boyle, and Marc Strout — attended the 10-minute meeting. Members Anthony Pagliarulo and Daniel Esko previously expressed their disapproval of the sale to the Balardinis. 

 

Pagliarulo voted against the sale but did sign the purchase-and-sale agreement earlier this month. His reasoning was the explanation by the town attorney during an executive session that, unlike procurement, where the board is required to accept the lowest bid for services, it does have some discretion when it comes to accepting bids in this instance.