Use this search box to find articles that have run in our newspapers over the last several years.
Date: 11/23/2020
SPRINGFIELD – The Eastfield Mall hosted its first drive-thru food distribution event on Nov. 14 thanks to the Massachusetts Military Support Foundation (MMSF). Local families were able to drive to the mall and receive a free food kit containing fresh fruits and vegetables, milk and dairy products, eggs and meat.
Farmers to Families, which was organized by the United States Department of Agriculture and is part of a COVID-19 Food Assistance Program, started the food distribution events nationwide, and the MMSF brought it locally to Springfield.
This was a recurring distribution event hosted at the Eastfield Mall every Saturday in November. The next scheduled date is Nov. 28, with the possibility of more dates being added. Pick up occurs from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. in the back parking lot of the Eastfield Mall.
Each distribution day will supply up to 1,000 food kits to those in need.
During the Nov. 14 event, only 50 kits were left over. These kits were then distributed to a local veteran’s home so that the supplies didn’t get wasted, according to Jessica Burroughs, marketing manager at the Eastfield Mall.
MMSF contacted the Eastfield Mall on the week of Nov. 9 to let them know that the distribution events had grown too large for the former spot they were in. Burroughs said she knew the parking lot by the cinemas would be the perfect place to line cars up and get a good distribution traffic flow. The mall couldn’t pass this opportunity up to help those in need once it was brought to them, she said.
“There are so many families out there right now still struggling due to COVID shutdowns. People are still trying to catch up from those few months of not working and being able to get food in the hands of people who need it, especially going into the colder seasons and the holidays, we could not pass the opportunity to be able to help with that,” said Burroughs.
The drive-thru food distribution events are open to the public, though veterans and active military families are being encouraged to sign up. Those interested in learning more or signing up are able to visit https://mmsfi.org/.
The Eastfield Mall also has other ways to help those in need this holiday season. According to Burroughs, there is a donation box inside the mall to benefit Jenna’s Blessing Bags. This is a charity that collects essential sanitary products for the homeless and is looking for items like toothpaste, brushes, socks, underwear, hand sanitizer and more. The donation box will be open until Jan. 6.
The mall also plans to announce more community events on their Facebook. To learn more about these events and find ways to donate, visit https://www.facebook.com/eastfieldmall.fans.