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Noonan tries to keep pantry services alive

Kevin Noonan, executive director of the Open Pantry at a petition campaign last Thursday to convince the Legislature to rescind cuts to the facility by Gov. Deval Patrick. Due to a veto of over $500,000 in state funding, the Open Pantry is being forced to curtail its operations. Reminder Publications photo by G. Michael Dobbs
By G. Michael Dobbs

Managing Editor



SPRINGFIELD Ed Haugh of East Longmeadow, a certified teacher, found a series of illnesses left him with "more medical bills than I could handle." He said at a press conference conducted on Wednesday at the Open Pantry Emergency Food Pantry that he turned to the food pantry to help make ends meet.

Haugh is one of thousands of people who have turned to the food pantry in a time of need who are now trying to keep the service alive.

"One day the bottom could fall from beneath you," he added.

During the press conference there were a steady stream of people coming into the food pantry at 721 State St. seeking assistance.

Due to a veto of over $500,000 in state funding, the Open Pantry is being forced to curtail its operations. During the previous week, Kevin Noonan, executive dirctor of the Open Pantry, was forced to lay-off two employees and reduce the hours of the food pantry.

Noonan kicked off a petition campaign on Thursday in the hopes of convincing members of the Legislature to rescind Gov. Deval Patrick's veto. He urged Springfield residents to show their support for the organization.

He said the Springfield delegation State Representatives Ben Swan, Cheryl Coakley-Rivera, Angelo Puppolo and Sean Curran and State Senators Stephen Buoniconti and Gale Candaras are working together to try to over-turn the veto. He said that Speaker Pro-Tempore Thomas Petrolati has also been helpful in the effort as have been Senators Michael Knapik, Steven Brewer and Stan Rosenberg.

Hector Figarella, the program coordinator of the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, said the Open Pantry is the largest food agency in their system.

"What they do couldn't be duplicated by any other agency, Figarella said. "We really need the legislative override of the governor's veto. It's important."

Open Pantry Community Service received 10 percent of its funding from federal sources, 31 percent from the state and 59 percent from grants, fund-raising and in-kind donations. Besides the food pantry, the agency operates the Loaves and Fishes meal program, Open Door Social Services, a shelter for homeless women and children, temporary housing for teenage mothers and their children and two sober living facilities for women.

The agency's 2008 budget is $3,637,269.18.

Rev. Peter Heinrichs, the pastor of the South Congregational Church said people would be "fooling themselves" if they think the city government could replace the services offered by the Open Pantry. Heinrichs emphasized the agency treats people with dignity and respect, an opinion shared by Michaelann Bewsee of ARISE.

There have been discussions between Geraldine McCafferty, the deputy director of Homeless and Special Needs Housing and Paul Bailey, executive director of Springfield Partners for Community Action (SPCA), about that agency taking over the food pantry operation if the Open Pantry is forced to close it. The Open Pantry currently rents its food pantry space from SPCA.

Dina Calvanese, the director of the Gray House, released the following statement: "It's frightening to hear that Open Pantry is making cuts, especially at a time when more and more people are finding themselves in need of food assistance. Providing food to our neighbors is meeting a basic need and if we can't help people with that, where are we headed? I pray that the Legislature will override the governor's veto so Open Pantry can continue providing services in its full capacity."