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Date: 7/19/2021
WEST SPRINGFIELD – Over the past nine years, Sara Maloney, a West Springfield native has collected/donated over 5,000 books to the West Springfield Parish Cupboard.
Every day, the Parish Cupboard serves between 10 to 15 people for lunch. Each month, their pantry feeds between 100 to 150 families. They aim to primarily serve individuals who are in need and/or homeless – residing in both Agawam and West Springfield.
Carolyn Maloney, mother to Sara and current member of board of directors at the Parish Cupboard, said in 2012, they were painting murals at the old Parish Cupboard building. With a strong passion for reading, Sarah raised an important question. “Sara asked Martha Tighe, past executive director, ‘How do people get library cards if they don’t have addresses?’ Tighe replied, ‘They don’t,’” stated Carolyn.
As a result, Carolyn said her daughter raided their bookshelves at home and informed the Mittineague Congregational Church of her desire to collect books for people who were unable to obtain them on their own. In return, they assisted with informing the community.
“People brought in bags of books to the church,” said Carolyn. “We went to tag sales, hit library sales and big book sales at the end of the year.”
As the collection has grown over the years, Carolyn said, “A lot of clients bring old books and take new ones.” She added that clients will ask for certain authors – allowing for her to know that they are truly reading and enjoying the novels.
Currently, the Parish Cupboard has a table of books that are always kept out. They are working on adding more bookshelves.
Bob Fastie, executive director of the Parish Cupboard, has promoted the book exchange on Facebook to make locals aware. In addition, Fastie gets books for children who visit their food pantry monthly.
Although Sara no longer resides in West Springfield, her mother, the Parish Cupboard and the community work to continue her legacy. Sara now attends the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, working toward her PhD in analytical chemistry that she should receive by November. “I am very proud of her,” stated Carolyn.
If you wish to donate a book to the Parish Cupboard, people are encouraged to drop them off at Mittineague Congregational Church located at 1840 Westfield St., or directly to the Parish Cupboard, 738 Main St.
To learn more, visit the West Springfield/Agawam Parish Cupboard official Facebook page.