Sally Munson, the director of Our Community Food Panty, said on Nov. 12, the pantry only needs turkey broth, gravy, and stuffing mix to fill up these shelves for the Thanksgiving Dinners for its clients.
Reminder Publishing file photo
SOUTHWICK — When it appeared the U.S. Department of Agriculture would pause SNAP benefits for November because of the government shutdown, beneficiaries were worried and confused about what would happen to them, Our Community Food Pantry helped calm their fears and offered food to everyone in need.
“People were nervous and scared,” said Pantry Director Sally Munson about the dozens of phone calls the pantry got before and after Nov. 1.
However, the predictions about those going without the food needed for their families may have been overexaggerated after Gov. Maura Healey restored the benefit for more than a million state residents despite the most recent threat from the federal government to claw back a portion of it.
But that didn’t matter to the residents of Southwick, Granville and Tolland, the communities the pantry serves.
“People were generous and were seeking us out to help. They came in with checks and food,” she said, adding that district schools also donated. And she knows why. “Because the community came together. It’s been amazing and wonderful,” Munson said.
Over the last two weeks, she said the pantry has had about 10 or 12 families sign up for assistance.
Unlike many of the pantries in the area that are only open one or two days a week, Our Community Food Pantry is open four days a week.
“We got a lot of phone calls from people from other areas,” saying it was a direct result of it being open and a real person answering the phone to provide answers and help.
And the pantry had people from other communities just showing up at their 222 College Highway location asking for assistance.
“We had an influx of people coming from other areas and they were panicky. But we don’t turn people away,” she said.
For those outside of the pantry’s service area, Munson said each was given a basic bag of food, usually some meat and nonperishables, and provided contact information for their local pantry or other organizations like the Salvation Army.
She also wanted to alert the community to this weekend’s annual Scout for Food. Scout Troops 114 and 338 will be collecting food donations from homes throughout the community and drops it off at the pantry.
Residents wanting to participate should place nonperishable foods and unexpired cans of food in bags usually in their driveways to be picked up. The bags should be put out by 9 a.m. on Nov. 22.
Munson asked those donating to check the expiration dates because if expired, it gets thrown out.
With Thanksgiving just a week away. Munson said there are still a few food items the pantry needs. The pantry needs turkey broth, gravy and stuffing.
The 150 turkeys that are part of the Thanksgiving week groceries for clients are provided by the congregation of the Southampton Episcopal Church, which provides nearly 500 turkeys to organizations in the region during the holiday season.
