Hunger is the last thing anyone reading this is likely to suffer this week, as we overeat our way through Thanksgiving, the kick-off of the caloric bonanza that lies in the month ahead. Or, if we do "suffer," it's from good hunger, the kind that's awash in anticipation, the kind we feel when we smell the turkey roasting and swing by the kitchen, hoping to cadge a glimpse and a nibble of the feast that lies ahead. Then there's bad hunger, the sad kind, the kind that drives a family of five kids to a soup kitchen without a parent because there is nothing to eat at home. As Mark Quandt, executive director of the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York, whose family volunteers once-a-month at a food pantry in Albany where they personally witnessed this incident, points out, "Kids don't go to a soup kitchen unless they are really hungry and don't know where else to turn." Our own food bills may be sky high these days, but, fortunately, Quandt's organization, which services 1,000 agencies in 23 counties, knows how to shop. For every dollar donated, they are able to provide $10 - $12 worth of food to the needy, good food that would otherwise go to waste. This year alone, they distributed 19 million pounds of it to food pantries and other agencies. Think about it: a check for $100 equals at least $1000 worth of food. That's cost-effective giving.
“The jobless rate in Dutchess and Ulster counties is at a 14-year high,” says Jeffrey Schneider, director of the Community Works Campaign, a philanthropy funded by donations from the employees and students of Vassar College. “Already, local food banks and other social service agencies are seeing a 15 to 20 percent increase in the number of people seeking assistance and that number is expected to grow.” To raise funds, the organization is hosting a benefit concert at Vassar on December 10, featuring the Choir of Queens’ College, Cambridge University, considered among the best mixed choirs in England. They will perform both sacred and secular choral works by J.S. Bach, William Byrd, Edward Elgar, Giovanni Gabrielli, William Harris, Charles Villiers Stanford, John Tavener, and Thomas Tallis, among others. Imagine: thrilling music and a chance to visit Vassar, considered among the most beautiful campuses in the country, and all for a worthy cause. The suggested donation is a mere $10, but we know you music lovers can do better than that.
The OWL's Kitchen in Lakeville, CT, is bit of a misnomer. "We don't have a kitchen but we've been providing healthy food to people in need for about twenty years," says volunteer Barbara Nicholls. "OWL stands for Older Women's League which is a national organization, but we think our food pantry is special. First, we have no means testing. We take anyone. We have people who drive over from Hudson, NY, for food. We get tremendous community support—the local schools, banks and churches all have collection boxes for us, and we work with the Connecticut Food Bank." The economic downturn is reflected in the growing number of families who show up at the kitchen on Route 41 next door to St. Mary's Church every Saturday morning between 9 - 11 AM and every other Friday night between 5 and 6:30 PM. "We've had 80 new people register in the past two months," she said. "We had 112 families come last week for Thanksgiving dinners and we couldn't get enough turkeys. We had to give some people chickens." If you want to donate food to OWL's Kitchen, call Nicholls to arrange a drop off (860.435.8233); if you want to donate money, write a check to "NWCT OWL" (PO Box 153, Lakeville, CT 06039), and if you want to contribute your time, be patient: OWL's Kitchen has more than enough volunteers at the moment. "We have a very dedicated crew," says Nicholls. "We really are a bunch of nice older women."
This week, the Loaves & Fishes food pantry will distribute 100 "Boxes of Love," which will each contain a full Thanksgiving dinner, according to Carolyn Bernier, who coordinates a twice weekly food distribution at the Christian Assembly in Pittsfield. Members of the church are given a menu and fill a box for one family with all the fixings for a holiday meal, including a turkey. On normal weeks, Loaves and Fishes provides food to about 40 families. "We always need canned goods, pastas and cereals," says Bernier. "We can accept donations of meat. We also accept paper goods and toiletries—tissue, toothpaste, soap—because people cannot buy these items with food stamps." You can donate canned and dry goods at the church Monday - Friday from 9 AM to 4 PM or send a check to the Christian Assembly of God Food Pantry: 850 Williams Street, Pittsfield, MA 01201. SInce 1999, the People's Pantry has been providing groceries to those in need every Thursday in Great Barrington. "We're an all-volunteer effort," says board president Carol Purcell. "We are not part of any government agency. We have seven teams of volunteers—six from churches and synagogues and one from the community—but we can always use more help and people who want to volunteer on a regular basis can call me at 413. 528.3498." The People's Pantry home in the old Bryant School complex is in jeopardy, and as it searches for a new location it has seen a 36% increase in visitors in the past three months. "Last week, we gave out 61 Thanksgiving turkeys and chickens that we bought from the Hatfield Food Bank," says Purcell, who notes that donations also come from community groups such as the Rudolf Steiner School and Muddy Brook Elementary. Although much of the food distributed is donated, many items must be purchased from food banks or supermarkets so cash donations are vital to the cause: People's Pantry, PO Box 1115, Great Barrington, MA 01230
When there is no food in the cupboard and there are children to be fed, a once-a-week food pantry does not provide immediate relief. That's why Project Milk was started. Run by Community Health Programs in Great Barrington, a $30 donation will provide a hungry family in crisis with enough food for two or three days. Set up exclusively for families with children living at home, recipients receive a voucher that they take to Price Chopper for specific items such as milk, chicken, ground beef, carrots, potatoes, macaroni and orange juice. Donations can be made by check (to "CHP") or online at the Support Us link at Community Health Programs (you can earmark your donation for Project Milk in the comments section.)
