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Date: 9/1/2021
WESTERN MASS. – On Aug. 25, Rachel’s Table announced it would be partnering with the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts to provide volunteer drivers for their agencies.
Rachel’s Table Associate Director Sarah Maniaci said the partnership began because Rachel’s Table saw a need for more volunteers to help the Food Bank.
“We saw that there was a need that was not being filled, the food bank has partnerships with a lot of grocery stores but at the same time there were agencies that did not have the transportation or volunteers to get to these stores and bring the food back,” she said.
With the number of volunteers available to Rachel’s Table, Maniaci said the partnership with the Food Bank was a natural evolution of their relationship.
“We have a dedicated group of 200 volunteers, so it was sort of a natural thing for us to partner with the Food Bank and for us to send our volunteers to these stores and bring the food back to the Food Bank and their agencies,” she said.
Currently, Maniaci said 13 volunteers are helping make deliveries to seven agencies across Hampden, Hampshire and Franklin Counties.
Initially, the partnership started as a run from Big Ys in Westfield to a Food Bank agency there before the COVID-19 pandemic began but has since evolved into a larger operation.
“We started mindfully and slowly in Westfield before the pandemic began, we had two Big Ys in Westfield where we were doing pickups four days a week and that was produce, so our volunteers would go pick up the produce, weigh it, temp it with food safety in mind and then we would bring it to an agency in Westfield,” she said.
Maniaci said she hopes the partnership continues to evolve as they add more agencies and donors to the current roster.
“We get into the nooks and crannies of the different food donors and agencies where the Food Bank cannot get into. We are looking to continually add food donors and stores to the roster, and increase the agencies too, which will help food insecurity in the region,” she said.
Along with partnering up, Maniaci said the volunteers trained with the Food Bank for the best practices for food safety.
“We trained with the Food Bank, so we use the freezer blankets and infrared thermometers to test the food before we bring it, so everything is very food safe, especially in this hot weather,” she said.
With food going to waste because of the lack of volunteers for the food bank, Maniaci said the organizations rescue the food to get it to those in need.
“What it came down to is some of this food was going to waste, but with our support and working with the Food Bank we are able to rescue that food and get it to people who need it,” she said.
With food insecurity at a high level in Massachusetts in conjunction with the COVID-19 pandemic, Maniaci said this partnership helps get food to more people across the region.
“It is so nice to work together with them because what we do is very complimentary and is a natural partnership, we can help get to places they are not able to access and it opens things up for us in terms of the food donors. The bottom line is it helps get more food out to a greater number of people in the area,” she said. “Especially in a time where more and more people need access to nutritious food.”