PITTSFIELD, Mass. — For a second weekend in a row, volunteers aided Berkshire United Way in its effort to gather food for local pantries. This year saw the effort more than double the amount of food collected. 

 

This past Saturday, volunteers throughout the county participated in the Letter Carriers' Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive, which is sponsored by the National Association of Letter Carriers. Berkshire United Way has been supporting this effort since 2003.

 

"I am proud of the carriers in Berkshire County. We worked Saturday delivering mail and packages, and also picked up food," said Amy Breault, Branch 286 president. 

 

"If we work over on Food Drive day, we don't get paid overtime, which means many carriers volunteer their personal time to complete their route. It feels good to do good, so we're happy to do it. Shout out to all of the volunteers through Berkshire United Way, as well as family members of carriers and retirees."

 

At the time of publication, the post office and Berkshire United Way gathered 27,844 pounds of non-perishable food, 16,072 pounds more than last year's 11,772.

 

"We believe that the postage-paid bags that the letter carriers distributed to postal customers in addition to the usual postcards that they usually distributed, and the awareness of people in the Berkshires of the serious problem of food insecurity in the county can be attributed to the huge increase in donations year over year," said Pamela Knisley, community engagement manager.

 

During the event, volunteers helped fill the vehicles belonging to representatives from 13 pantries throughout Pittsfield, Dalton, and Hinsdale, including South Community Pantry, Christian Center, First Baptist Church, Roots & Dreams and Mustard Seeds, Soldier On, and more. 

 

"The really great thing is none of this happens if we don't have a lot of people putting themselves out together to make that all happen. Collaboration and service are nonsectarian, they're non-political," said Tom Bernard, Berkshire United Way president and CEO. 

 

"The hungry person doesn't care about the politics of the people supporting them. In a time where we're really more and more divided, the things that can bring us together, the things that remind us that we are a community of people that look out for people, that support the people who have needs. We're only as strong as we are able to make and support the people who need the most in our community."

 

According to a study by the Greater Boston Food Bank, approximately 45 percent of people in Berkshire County are going hungry, said Kristofer Rutman, Western Massachusetts Labor Action operations manager. 

 

"We've had stories of a mother of two children coming through our doors and saying, 'I'm skipping breakfast so that my kids can eat.' So, if you multiply this out by thousands of families, then it's really a pandemic issue," he said. 

 

Western Massachusetts Labor Action has an emergency food benefit of membership, which allows members to come in 365 days a year from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. to get emergency food to stabilize their situations, Rutman said. 

 

The food given to the organization will feed thousands. This does not include the food given to other organizations, he said. 

 

Every donation given impacts a food pantry because not only does it give them more food to give out, but also more variety, said Francine Klein, Director of Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry at Christian Assembly.

 

"The need is very great in the community, it's getting worse," she said. 

 

Klein emphasized the importance of food pantries as supportive spaces where individuals in need can receive help without judgment. 

 

"As the government begins to cut back on their support of the food pantries and their financial support, we need people to step up in the community to donate, and we're sure that they're going to be more people that need food, because food insecurity is becoming a bigger and bigger problem," said Kevin Klein, food pantry volunteer.

 

"We don't want anybody to go hungry, and that's part of the mission that Loaves and Fishes food pantry has, which is to make sure that people do not go either physically hungry or spiritually hungry."

 

Loaves and Fishes helps more than 100 families a week, and it is considered a small food pantry, said Mary Lou Russett, pantry volunteer. 

 

Families are two to six people, so the food donations help up to 600 people, Kevin Klein added. 

 

The event was filled with laughter as community members of all ages packed bags and boxes of food from the post vans into orange carts, also referred to as "pumpkins." The food was then weighed before being given to the pantry representatives.

 

"What brings me here today is, I really love helping out the community. It's a great thing and it's really needed. It helps bring food to local pantries to help out people who need the necessities to get by in life," said Aidan Underdown, Pittsfield High School sophomore. 

 

"It's really positive. I've met a lot of new people, and seeing people come together to help the community is great."

 

"I think it's for the people who don't have that much money to get food for themselves," said Evelyn Paulo, 9-year-old. 

 

Getting youth involved in volunteer initiatives such as this is important because it helps build lifelong habits of community service and giving back, normalizing it as part of their regular routine, Bernard said. 

 

It creates a continuous pipeline of volunteers for future generations as it increases the likelihood of continued service throughout their lifetime, he said.