SOUTH HADLEY - Hunger doesn’t take a vacation.
South Hadley’s Neighbors Helping Neighbors Food Pantry served a record number of clients in the two days it was open the last week of July. A total of 2,733 pounds of food and personal care products were distributed on one single day.
The high demand for food has taken a toll on the pantry’s inventory.
“We get what we can from the food bank, but it’s hard to keep up with the demand,” said pantry volunteer Mary Lou Guarnera. In two months, the pantry has signed up 75 new clients.
In an effort to assist the pantry in restocking its shelves, South Hadley Town Hall will serve as a drop-off point for non-perishable donations throughout the month of August. Town hall will accept donations during regular operating hours - Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Items most in demand are cold cereals, varieties of canned fruit, canned whole tomatoes, tomato paste, stewed tomatoes, and canned protein like chili, spam, chicken and beef stew. Reusable grocery bags are also needed.
Donations can be brought to a grocery cart supplied by Big Y stationed outside the administration suite in town hall through August.
Neighbors Helping Neighbors Food Pantry is located at 30 Carew St. within the United Methodist Church. It is open Wednesdays from 12:30 – 3:30 p.m. and 6 – 7:30, and on Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon. Donations are accepted there on those days beginning at 9 a.m.
Neighbors Helping Neighbors is a client-choice pantry whose mission is to provide nutritious, supplemental food to South Hadley and Granby residents dealing with food insecurity. The organization has been serving local families in need since 2011. It provides between six to eight days of food each month for each member in a household.
Fundraising, food drives and the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts support the pantry in fulfilling its mission.
For more information about Neighbors Helping Neighbors and its services, call (413) 437-7593, email info@nhnfoodpantry.org or visit www.nhnfoodpantry.org. Find the pantry on Facebook at facebook.com/nhnfoodpantry.