To the editor:
Daffodil greens emerging, the whistling of blackbirds, the lengthening of days … spring is coming to the Berkshires. After a dark, cloudy, cold winter, it is a time of new beginnings and hope.
But for many of our neighbors, it is not an optimistic time as they face a daily battle with food insecurity. They can’t afford the basic, healthy foods that many of us take for granted. Will the weekly budget stretch so that no one is hungry? Can they afford fresh produce, meat, and milk? How will they pay for food, housing, and medical care?
Many of our neighbors depend on food pantries throughout Berkshire County to make ends meet. The People’s Pantry in Great Barrington provides healthy food to as many as 250 households (600 people) each week. In the winter of 2024, the Pantry served twice as many people as in the winter of 2022. No one is turned away. This is not easy, but with the support of our community, we have been able to help feed our neighbors.
We ask, in this season of new beginnings and hope, that you consider supporting those among us who need a helping hand by supporting the Pantry. Check out our website for ways you can continue to contribute with donations of time, food, money, or professional expertise.
Meanwhile, we look forward to the coming of spring.
Beth Moser
Great Barrington
The writer is president of The People’s Pantry.
