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Date: 11/26/2021
HUNTINGTON — Laura Gavioli, director of the Huntington Food Pantry at 63 Old Chester Road in the Pioneer Valley Assembly of God Church, said this year the pantry is giving out gift cards with their food boxes instead of turkeys for Thanksgiving.
“We always get more people at Thanksgiving. Some people only come this time of year. This year, they will be getting a gift card for Thanksgiving. We will give them all out up to and through the Christmas season,” Gavioli said.
She said gift cards and donations are always welcome any time of year, and may be dropped off during open hours on Thursdays from 9 to 11:30 a.m. and 2 to 4:30 p.m., which is also the time that people may come to get food, or mailed to the Huntington Food Pantry, P.O. Box 477, Huntington, MA 01050. All of the donations are used to buy food.
The Huntington Food Pantry serves the towns of the Gateway Regional School District and surrounding area, including Becket, Blandford, Chester, Huntington, Middlefield, Montgomery, Russell and Worthington. The pantry also accepts emergency referrals from area churches and the Salvation Army.
Gavioli said a few of the food and other items which are always in demand at the pantry include pasta and mixes such as Hamburger Helper, which will make a big meal, and cereal, which is another popular item. She said the pantry is able to get canned fruit and vegetables, along with other staples, from the Western Massachusetts Food Bank.
She said condiments like mayonnaise, mustard and salad dressing fly off the shelves.
“Those are things we take for granted. Every week I get a new [supply], and every week it’s gone.”
Toothpaste, shampoo and body wash are also welcome. People may also drop off all of these items in the box at the Huntington Post Office.
Area organizations also hold food collections for the pantry at this time of year. On Nov. 13, the Huntington Recreation Committee accepted donations for the pantry at the town’s public library during the afternoon. The Russell Police Department is also running its fifth annual food and toy drive, a portion of which will go to the pantry.
Gavioli said the pantry is partnering with the Village Closet this year, and putting up fliers with information about the food pantry for families that go there for children’s clothing and other services. She said the church is also doing a toy and mitten drive for the Hilltown Family Center.
During COVID-19, the food pantry was open for driveway deliveries only, which Gavioli said was a lot of work, but helped the volunteers to streamline their operation. Now that the building is open, she said the process has gotten faster, cleaner and more efficient, and the line goes through quickly.
“There’s always that hunger and need all around the holidays, it’s never too late to give,” Gavioli said. For more information about the food pantry, contact Gavioli at 667-3196 or huntingtonfoodpantry@gmail.com.