A Massachusetts neighborhood council opened a food pantry after restrictions on its senior food program forced it to turn away others seeking help.
Families in Springfield's Indian Orchard neighborhood can turn to the pantry for groceries as food prices remain high.
Here's what to know
The Indian Orchard Citizens Council launched the mutual aid food pantry next to Myrtle Street Park using a $10,000 award provided by the Community Foundation of Western Mass, according to Western Mass News.
Visitors can pick up staples including fruit, soup, and canned goods.
Jackie Farrow, the council's office manager, sought the grant after noticing that people who did not qualify for its existing food program were seeking help.
"We run a senior brown bag program and just noticed families coming, younger and younger people, and that program is very restricted," Farrow told the outlet. "So, we had to turn people away, and I didn't like the way that felt."
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More background
For Indian Orchard resident Vitaliy Sour, putting food on the table already requires weekly trips to three or more Springfield pantries. Sour receives Social Security in retirement, and his wife works part time.
"The prices are going up, and sometimes when I go to the store, I have a choice: What should I pick up today, and what should I pick up tomorrow?" Sour told Western Mass News.
Federal cuts to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits remain a possibility even as many people in the area need food assistance, Farrow noted.
For households such as Sour's, the pantry offers another source of groceries without requiring a trip across the city.
The council is preparing to help families with Thanksgiving food, as the pantry is fully stocked through contributions from area businesses and individual donors.
Where can I learn more?
Elsewhere in Massachusetts, families are struggling to afford groceries, and food assistance providers are working to meet demand.
• A soup kitchen faced rising need without more donations during the holiday season.
• Massachusetts awarded nearly $7 million to farms, fisheries, and food banks fighting hunger.
• Massachusetts raised SNAP benefits, allowing a family of four to receive up to $1,023.
• A Boston mother went hungry so her son could eat after her SNAP benefits plunged.
• A Boston nonprofit paid teens $15 an hour to grow 200,000 pounds of food for hunger relief.
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