“We have always been open to all community residents. There are no income or proof-of-status requirements, and shoppers are welcome to visit once a week. Our mission is to respectfully serve our neighbors experiencing food insecurity by distributing healthy food, locally sourced whenever feasible.”
— Laura Gratz, The People’s Pantry board president
“The people here always make me feel good. I’m very grateful. Nobody looks down their nose at me here.”
—Pantry recipient
Following recent Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) reductions, many local residents face tough choices trying to meet their basic needs—including whether to buy food or pay the rent or heating bill. Local food banks, including The People’s Pantry in Great Barrington, saw a sudden increase in demand, with lines out the door on distribution days. “Most of our clients were already worried about food insecurity, but this feels like the last straw, compounded by all of their other fears,” board president Laura Gratz explains.
With 45 percent of Berkshire County households already experiencing food insecurity, SNAP cutbacks only deepened the problem. To give a sense of how far those benefits go, consider this: The average daily amount is around $6.40 per person. A 20 percent reduction (about $1.40 per day) means benefits often run out after three weeks, leaving families scrambling for food at the end of each month.
The People’s Pantry is now busier than ever. While the nonprofit is quick to acknowledge the outpouring of support they’ve received this month from more than 22 area businesses and organizations, they know their needs will only continue to grow. “People feel relieved to have some way to help, something to do,” says Silke Aisenbrey, board vice president for operations. “While it’s awesome that everyone is giving us help, we expect this to be an ongoing need for the next several years—which means we need long-term commitments.”
Humble beginnings
The People’s Pantry has been addressing food insecurity and serving the South Berkshire community since 1999. In the early years, the Pantry moved from one site to another, but in 2017 it found a permanent home at Saint James Place (entrance on the Taconic Avenue side), free of charge and in the center of Great Barrington. Before the pandemic, they served an average of 125 people (50 to 60 households) each week. That number soared in the spring of 2020 and has continued to grow ever since, fueled by inflation, supply chain issues, and a lack of affordable housing.
Although The Pantry experienced unprecedented support during the pandemic (when businesses were shut down and had huge surpluses), inflation, supply chain issues, and low profit margins are now creating challenges for everyone. “There is a perception of abundance, but we try to give away everything we have while also supporting local farms. Keeping the money in the community helps both sides of the supply chain,” Aisenbrey points out. “We also try to provide the highest quality food. Everyone deserves to have healthy food.” It’s tough to secure grants for food because it flies out the door, she acknowledges, but community support allows them to support residents and keep them here.
Another misperception is that local food banks and pantries primarily help immigrants. However, Aisenbrey clarifies that “Sixty percent of our shoppers are actually from Great Barrington—and that doesn’t even include those who work in Great Barrington—so when you give to The Pantry, you are feeding your local community.” Roughly 14 percent are 65 or older, with 30 percent under 18. Among shoppers, at least seven languages are spoken in addition to Spanish—including Vietnamese, Turkish, French, and Portuguese. “We try to be as inclusive of our diverse shoppers as possible,” Gratz emphasizes, offering culturally appropriate food items and multi-lingual volunteers.
Increased need—and support—this Thanksgiving
The Pantry served 290 families last year; this year, they provided the makings for 400 Thanksgiving dinners. Shoppers could choose among three proteins—turkey, chicken, or vegetable roast—along with plenty of sides and a pie. Volunteers Sherri Gorelick and Leslie Miller (who had a pie sale last year to raise money for The Pantry) put up posters calling for pie donations even before the SNAP announcement, so each client would be gifted a Thanksgiving pie to complete their holiday meal. “Everyone needs—and deserves—pie!” Gorelick says, smiling.
The response was overwhelming. Beyond the individual donations, they rallied 20 volunteers from Hevreh of Southern Berkshire in Great Barrington to bake 150 pies together, and arranged for another 28 pies to be donated through the Pastries by Hanna website. Holli Stanton of Café Holli donated 28 bags of coffee to match. “To see all the pies we collected in one space was unbelievable,” Gorelick says. “I feel such pride for our community.” Miller agrees. “The response was mutually beneficial. Everyone, both givers and receivers, felt grateful and connected.”
Providing two-tiered support
The Pantry serves the community in two ways: through food distribution at Saint James Place two days a week (Monday afternoons and Thursday mornings), and by supplying school district families with food they order through the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts. Southern Berkshire and Berkshire Hills Regional School Districts provide boxes to 50 to 60 families (feeding 300 individuals) weekly. Donations from other area organizations augment these school boxes.
“We have a tiny space, but we make it work,” Gratz says. Each week, 40 to 50 volunteers work approximately 100 hours to stock shelves, receive deliveries, and help distribute food at the pantry. “Our commitment to serving our clients is matched by our commitment to offering the healthiest food, and the most local food, we can obtain,” she emphasizes. To accomplish this, they work with other food providers, including the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts (which delivers 4,000 pounds of food each month), as well as Berkshire Bounty and Berkshire Grown. Local clubs, businesses, and houses of worship also collect shelf-stable goods for the pantry.
Creating a positive client experience
“To be a shopper, the only requirement is waiting in line,” Gratz confirms, noting that there is a covered, heated shelter for waiting. “It’s important that clients provide a name (actual or alias) and the number and ages of the people in the family for tracking and managing the pantry, but once they’re inside, we offer an open-choice pantry shopping experience.” The open-choice method has several advantages over the traditional “Pick up your bag” approach used by many food pantries. First and foremost, it protects clients’ dignity; it also increases efficiency and reduces food waste.
“While our mission is food, we also offer over-the-counter medicine, toiletries, and [menstruation] products—necessary staples that are often not available at food banks,” Gratz explains. Among other items, the Pantry sources fresh fruits and vegetables from Guido’s, Berkshire Food Co-op, and others; milk/dairy products from High Lawn Farm; eggs from Off the Shelf and Taft Farms; meat from Tory Hill; dog and cat food from Irie’s Pet Pantry; and soup from Fairview Hospital’s cafeteria.
Growing costs to keep the doors open
As Aisenbrey reports, The People’s Pantry served 904 individuals onsite during the last week of October and an additional 544 through the school programs. Meanwhile, the operating costs have increased even faster than the number of clients. The generosity of local businesses and individuals is critical, but the pantry must buy additional food each month, and both the cost and the quantity of needed food have increased. Sourcing food locally, wherever feasible, allows the Pantry to support the local agricultural economy and helps small family farms stay in business. These farms, in turn, employ local workers, thereby reducing the number of people needing services.
Food insecurity will linger—and grow—long after the holiday season. As you look ahead to the new year, please take time to reflect on your commitment to addressing food insecurity among your neighbors. You can support The People’s Pantry by donating online or volunteering your time and service.
For more information, visit their website.
