Joe Liberti is shown with his daughter Giabella with the shelf his business, Lakeside Outdoor Services, has adopted at the Our Community Food Pantry. The pantry never stops asking area residents to help those who are experiencing food insecurity.
Reminder Publishing photo by Cliff Clark
SOUTHWICK — Joe Liberti is on a mission to give back, and with his close relationship with the Our Community Food Pantry and knowing about its Adopt-A-Shelf program, he decided to teach one of his children the importance caring for their fellow man.
“I wanted her to be able to tell her friends when she gets back to school from winter break that she was helping feed people,” Liberti said as he was being helped by Giabella, who is 5, shuttling groceries inside the pantry’s location at 222 College Hwy.
Giabella got into the spirit with determination and a big smile on her face gingerly moving canned sweet peas onto the shelf the Joe’s company Lakeside Outdoor Services has adopted at the pantry.
He is also aware that during the winter months and just after the holiday donations to the pantry slow down, but the need doesn’t.
“It’s wintertime and people still need help, especially with the high cost of living,” he said, adding that the skyrocketing power bills is making it tough on nearly everyone.
“It’s just the right thing to do,” Liberti said, who is guided by his strong faith instilled in him by his tight-knit Italian family.
The pantry has been promoting its adopt-a-shelf program since last summer, but after interest from families, businesses, individuals, civic organizations, and those to might want to honor the life of a loved one who had passed, waned they decided to relaunch it last month.
“It’s families like the Libertis who are so important to our mission to fight food insecurity,” pantry director Sally Munson said while assistant director Meg Raggio helped Giabella place the food items on the shelf.
The pantry started the program to provide the families it serves with items that can be too expensive, like coffee and tea, preserves or jellies, and breakfast cereal.
But items like deodorant and cleaning supplies were very popular with its clients in Southwick, Granville and Tolland.
Pitching the program, Munson said that those who adopt-a-shelf should be prepared to stock 120 items for the approximately 120 families who rely on the pantry each week.
She also suggested these items the pantry could provide: tea, coffee, cake mix, hot cocoa mix, hearty soups, rice or pasta dinner boxes, cereal, fresh produce and condiments.
Munson wanted to remind the community the needs of those facing food insecurity never stops.
She said any contribution helps the pantry purchase essential food items and maintain its facility.
When the pantry moved into its new facility in December 2023, the one unknown for its board of directors was the monthly energy expense. It moved from a 1,020-square-foot house next to the now-closed United Methodist Church to a newly built 1,800-square-foot structure next door. Keeping the larger building comfortable for its volunteers and clients has increased its monthly utility bill.
And the high price of food doesn’t appear to be going down anytime soon.
Most of the families that rely on the pantry for food have at least a member of the household who is working, but just can’t make ends meet.
And, as always, the pantry accepts donations of food and funds to cover operational expenses, especially now.
“Our expenses are higher, but the families we provide food assistance to has not decreased,” Munson said, adding that since last January, the pantry has provided 140,000 pounds of food to 120 families.
“And the need continues to grow,” she said.
For information about the pantry and how to give, visit ourcommunityfoodpantry.org or call 413-569-9876.
