With many residents away for the summer and schools closed, donations to the Needham Community Council Food Pantry are down at a time when demand is up. So the NCC is encouraging residents to organize summer food drives to replenish their shelves.
“It just slows to a trickle,” said Maureen Callahan, director of Development and PR, about summer support. “Everyone wants to give at the holidays and that’s wonderful. But it becomes overwhelming then, and there are people who need help all year round.”
The Community Council currently provides food to 410 Needham households, which is about 950 individuals — more than they’ve ever had before. “It’s about a 14% increase over last year, which is a lot and we don’t see that going down,” said Callahan, because of changes in eligibility for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). “That’s going to drive more people to us.”
Callahan said the food drives can be any size, large or small, and can be done by individuals, families or organizations. “People can be very creative; I’m always impressed. Students can do it in their neighborhood with a flyer saying they’re collecting food. Sometimes families will do it together as a family activity and leave a bin outside,” she said.
“Somebody had a 60th birthday party and they didn’t want gifts but they asked for either donations of food or financial donations to the food pantry in celebration.”
Items needed include most shelf-stable basic foods like peanut butter and tuna, tea and coffee, but also snack bars. “A lot of families rely on those free school lunches and breakfasts and when those go away it’s just a lot more for the families to have to make up,” said Callahan. “So snack foods that you would put in a lunch box, protein bars. Protein drinks for older people. Even condiments — they can get expensive and people don’t have that. And cleaning products,” she added, “anything you would buy at the store for your household.”
Information about what is needed and how to organize a food drive is listed on the NCC website and Callahan welcomes phone calls at 781-444-2415.
“If people are asked they really answer the call and show up,” she said. “It’s great to see that.”
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