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Date: 5/5/2021
CHICOPEE – A new food pantry has opened in downtown Chicopee, making it easier for many residents to walk to get what they need.
The Chicopee Cupboard is located at 32 Center St. and was started by the United Way of Pioneer Valley. The pantry can be used by all residents of the Pioneer Valley.
Jennifer Kinsman, director of community impact at United Way of Pioneer Valley, said that they decided to create the pantry after doing a community survey.
“It made us understand very clearly that our board and the community wanted United Way to participate in direct services. So we started to identify gaps in services in the region and we know that the food pantries are stretched with what they can do and cover geographically. We thought there might be a gap in downtown Chicopee,” said Kinsman.
After speaking with Lorraine’s Soup Kitchen and Pantry, Kinsman said that they identified an additional need in the Chicopee community and wanted to provide a pantry many people without transportation could easily access.
They were then able to purchase a building for the pantry and join the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts. The Chicopee Cupboard officially opened on April 15 and, since then, Kinsman said they have had tremendous community support.
“We had people donating the first day. We had people doing food drives for us, I get emails from people saying ‘do you want us to do a food drive?’ We have individuals dropping things off and one of the merchants right along the street by us ran a food drive. So we’re just really fortunate that people recognize that there’s a need and we’re all working together to try to address it,” she said.
The Chicopee Cupboard is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Due to COVID-19 capacity restrictions, the cupboard operates by appointment only. Appointments can be made by calling 693-0213.
The pantry has a variety of nonperishable items, canned foods, dry soup mixes, frozen meats, dairy products and fresh produce.
Kinsman said those who have used the pantry so far have all expressed immense gratitude.
“They’re very, very grateful people and it will bring tears to your eyes to have some of these conversations with them because they just appreciate getting meat and milk and apples and things they maybe aren’t normally able to procure,” she said.
Right now, Kinsman said the pantry is looking for donations of non-expired foods, items such as pasta sauce and items that don’t need to be refrigerated. Anyone interested in donating can call the pantry to set up a time to drop off. Monetary donations can also be made to the United Way of Pioneer Valley on their website.
Kinsman said that after setting up an appointment, individuals will need to provide proof of Massachusetts residency, proof of income and the amount of people in their household when they come to the Chicopee Cupboard.
However, anyone who stops by the cupboard during operating hours will be able to receive food. Kinsman said they can fill out a basic application and provide the required documents during their next visit.
“We’re happy to serve whoever comes and needs food. We won’t send anyone away hungry,” she said.
Kinsman said that the United Way of Pioneer Valley is happy to be able to provide these services to the community and that the Chicopee Cupboard is here to stay.
“If it turns out that we need a larger space, then we’ll be looking for a larger space,” she said.
Those interested in learning more about the Chicopee Cupboard are encouraged to visit https://www.uwpv.org/chicopee-cupboard.