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Date: 10/30/2023
HOLYOKE — In tough times throughout the city’s history, Holyokers have earned the reputation of coming together and being there for one another. Through a new initiative called “Holyoke We Can,” the city and its Community Emergency Response Team have started an ongoing food drive to replenish depleted inventories in local pantries.
Providence Ministries in South Holyoke will be the main beneficiary of the drive, but other pantries throughout the city will also be aided. The food drive began on Oct. 10 and is running indefinitely as the winter months approach.
CERT has been actively hard at work collecting for food pantries the last few weeks. Emergency Management Director Jeffrey Trask told Reminder Publishing the new initiative rose from city pantries reaching out for support from the city due to dwindling supplies that will continue to decrease as the weather declines into the winter months.
“The need is so high not only in Holyoke, but everywhere in the state,” Trask said.
Trask added they are also not only collecting food donations, but also shelter supplies such as clothing like socks, jackets or blankets as Providence Ministries also acts as one of the city’s homeless shelters for different periods during the winter months.
Mayor Joshua Garcia said the initiative is in line with the long legacy of compassion amongst residents in the city.
“We’re a city of compassion. For the past 40-plus years, we’ve been fighting the humanitarian crisis in partnership with the commonwealth, probably more progressive than so-called progressive communities,” Garcia said. “We take care of our neighbors that are down and out on their luck. Here, I think it’s a prime example of the community coming together and understanding where there is a gap and right now, we are talking about people who have food insecurities.”
Garcia added the expectation that the local government alone can solve an issue like this is unrealistic and that the people in Holyoke coming together for each other makes a huge difference in supporting and helping those in need. He credited Trask and CERT member Priscilla Rivera with spearheading this city group and the efforts on the food drive.
While this drive is addressing food insecurity within Holyoke’s pantries, it is one portion of an overall housing and homeless crisis that Holyoke as well as many in the state and around the country are also facing.
When looking at what the state could offer in a situation like this, Garcia added food insecurity and shortages are common issues faced in many communities and are just one layer of the overall “quality of life” concerns such as housing, mental health, addiction and job opportunities that are facing municipalities. With this current food drive, they are just tackling one area of need that many communities are facing.
Garcia said while he knows the state is working to address these needs across the state, it was also a unique time in the city and state’s history in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, exasperating all of these issues.
“We can talk about rapid housing construction, affordable housing opportunities for folks, we can talk about more resources for local shelters, we can talk about other issues,” Garcia said on if and what the state could do to help municipalities. “But I can tell you from the inside you got a lot of good people in positions of leadership trying their best, but really, I think what we need is federal intervention in partnership with states to try to tackle this issue around homelessness, addiction, housing issues. Local governments can’t do it by ourselves. We do what we can, but sometimes it feels like we aren’t even scratching the surface, the problem is just too big.”
Trask said while the greater need is there as the mayor mentioned, in the short term he believes in Holyoke continuing to find its way and doing what they can control. He added he was proud to be a member of the community and added in the past the city rallied together to support its own through challenges like this. Support and donations for the hurricane in Puerto Rico last year and other past food drives to support pantries and shelters in the city were referenced by Trask.
CERT member Priscilla Rivera said there are 16 collection boxes for nonperishable food items have been distributed throughout the city. Some of these locations include Holyoke public school, the Holyoke Fire Department headquarters., nonprofit agencies and local businesses including City Sports at 352 High St., Dino’s at 615 Homestead Ave., the Senior Center and Holyoke Credit Union.
Trask credited Rivera for her consistent work and integral role in getting donations sent to Puerto Rico last year. He added Rivera has always been a consistent volunteer to the community.
Rivera added the drive thus far has been going well and members of CERT have been active in collecting donations around the city. She added as the winter approaches, the basics of fire safety should be on the minds of residents and reviewed for precautionary measures.
Rivera added space heaters and candles lead to many fires as they are used more during the winter and reminded residents to check the battery status of their smoke alarms. She added it was important for people to be reminded of these potential dangers in order to be safe because while losing your home no matter what is a devastating thing to happen, when it happens in the winter months it can intensify the family’s problems finding support and shelter.
“I hear what Priscilla is saying. We had a lot of fires last winter that were resulting from those issues. Not only do we support the homeless population but then we support the people who are temporarily homeless in incidents like this,” Trask added. “The winter just complicates everything. We don’t want to see a fire in the summer, but at least you don’t have to worry about freezing on the street.”
Trask and Rivera both credited Garcia for his support to CERT and always having their backs as they continue their work in the city.
Trask added CERT will continue collecting donations indefinitely as they look to be better prepared for the winter months and the potential continued increase in folks served. He added they are even collecting monetary donations on top of everything else that can found through the Chamber of Commerce.
“Our biggest priority starting in November will be making sure we have enough space in the shelter, and what we are doing now collecting food and clothes is going to better prepare us to handle that larger number of people,” Trask added.
For more information visit the Holyoke Emergency Management Department on Facebook or call Trask at 413-534-2250.