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Date: 1/10/2023
SOUTH HADLEY – Neighbors Helping Neighbors, Inc. has always been about creating solutions to problems, specifically providing a client-choice food pantry serving over 150 families in South Hadley and Granby.
Now in an effort to address food insecurity within active-duty military members and their families, the nonprofit organization has started serving free groceries to the demographic.
According to Mary Lou Guarnera of Neighbors Helping Neighbors in South Hadley, 24 percent of military families are food insecure. Noting a lack of options for these families, the nonprofit felt this was an opportunity to offer their services to active-duty members and families anywhere.
“When I saw that 24 percent of military personnel are food insecure, I said, ‘how can I not work to be part of the solution there?’ Even though we serve South Hadley and Granby, there’s a small number of active duty in these two towns, but more live outside those two towns,” Guarnera said. “I thought it was kind of an obvious thing for us to do and to try and pick up the slack there.”
The new offer allows for active-duty members and their families – regardless of where they live – to stop at the pantry with their military ID and they will be served groceries like any other person or family who uses the pantry. The pantry is client choice, which allows for people and families to select from options to make up the groceries that they will take home.
“I plan on continuing this until something happens where it isn’t needed, which I don’t expect to happen,” Guarnera said.
Guarnera said the only rule at Neighbors Helping Neighbors South Hadley is simple: you may not go hungry. Being a client choice pantry, people picking up have a list of options of different dry goods, meats, dairy and fresh produce products to pick up as groceries.
“Nobody goes away empty handed, anybody, no matter who they are or where they’re from, will leave here with food,” Guarnera said. “We will give them referrals to agencies providing food in their own town, but they aren’t going to walk out of here and be hungry.”
The pantry is open every Wednesday from 12:30 to 6 p.m. and every Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon.
Neighbors Helping Neighbors is always accepting donations –either monetary or through food resources – and the best way to get in contact with them is by calling 437-7593 or emailing info@nhnfoodpantry.org.
Raising awareness on SNAP skimming
Ongoing work at the nonprofit has also included raising awareness about the potential dangers of skimming on SNAP benefit cards.
Neighbors Helping Neighbors South Hadley has been assisting in efforts to raise awareness of potential threats of the “criminal ring” that has been stealing SNAP and DTA cash benefits from EBT cards through skimming scams. According to Guarnera, this was an issue that came on their radar in the past year.
“It’s really prevalent on the eastern part of the state but they’re [skimmers] starting to come over here. They have already stolen over $1 million worth of benefits, just in Massachusetts,” Guarnera said. “Those benefits can’t be replaced. If somebody’s SNAP benefits are stolen, they’re gone. That’s their food and it’s gone.”
The nonprofit is encouraging clients to be aware and start setting a new EBT PIN number after each use. To review the suggested steps in doing so, you can visit Neighbors Helping Neighbors, Inc. Facebook page and review the list.
Guarnera added she isn’t aware of much assistance provided by the state in this circumstance, so the most the pantry has to offer currently is raising the awareness of clients about the potential threat and encouraging the practice of changing a SNAP PIN after purchases.
“That’s all we can do, just keep reminding them. You change your pin lately?” Guarnera said. “It’s certainly low stealing from people on welfare and SNAP or whatever else.”