In the past year, A Place to Turn has seen a 15% increase in the number of people who come for food assistance.

While most of the people coming to A Place to Turn have been there before, about a quarter of them are new – both to their organization and to food pantries in general. As with other organizations in the area, most of these people are unemployed or underemployed making minimum wage at service jobs, and have bills piling up. Some have lost their homes, some are barely hanging on to them. When the economy improves, many may go back to work, but they will need assistance for a long time.

A Place to Turn is a choice food pantry. It is set up like a grocery story, so that people feel as though they are providing for their family, instead of receiving handouts. Clients from all over MetroWest come once every two months and are able to get two weeks of food for their household.

A Place to Turn has many needs that community members can help meet – in kind donations of food and other items as well as monetary donations which help them purchase food to fill in gaps of donations. For thanksgiving, they will be providing materials for 130 dinners that can be prepared at home.

More specifically, they could use:

• -Food for School-Age Children: Cereal, Juice, meals in a box or can
• -Perishable Items
• -Personal Care items: Toothbrush, Toothpaste, Shampoo, Soap, Sanitary Products
• -Holiday Gifts: Gifts for teenage boys and girls

To learn more about A Place to Turn, how to help, or how to access services, please visit www.aplacetoturn-natick.org.

Grandma’s Pantry is a small food pantry hosted by Christ Church in Waltham. Every Friday morning from 9 – 11 am, Waltham Senior Citizens (60+) on a limited income are able to stop by and pick up food to help meet their needs.

The food pantry is run by parishioners, and always welcomes donations to purchase food and donations of non-perishable food to distribute. While all food is useful, they are in particular need of any brand or type of beans and any kind of rice.

To contact Grandma’s Pantry, call (781) 891 – 6012 or email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

The Natick Service Council has been helping Natick Residents in need for the past 47 years. They are a nonprofit organization that, in addition to their food pantry, also provides assistance with financial, medical, and housing needs.

In the past year, the Service Council has seen a 25% increase in demand for their food assistance. Their pantry is open year round, and people are able to make monthly appointments to pick up food.

Ninety-nine percent of the people who come to the food pantry live in Natick and have homes there.

In the past, most of the people that would come were senior citizens on a limited income or single parents. Today, the people the Service Council sees are families where one or both parents are unemployed or underemployed. They come to the food pantry to defray their food costs, and use the money they save to make sure that they can pay other bills.

When a person comes to the Natick Service Council’s food pantry, he or she is able to choose two to two-and-a-half weeks worth of food based on family size. This food is supposed to be supplemental, but unfortunately it often is the only food the family will have for the month.

Unlike more traditional food pantries, the Natick Service Council set their pantry up like a grocery store, so that clients can choose the non-perishable and perishable items that they would like to use. Most of the non-perishable food is donated, but they have to purchase perishable items such as milk, butter, cheese, and meat. This Thanksgiving, the Service Council is also providing Thanksgiving meals for families to prepare in their homes.

The Natick Service Council is always in need of donations – both monetary and in kind. They currently are looking for the following items:

• -Protein-based food non-perishable foods: beans, tuna, peanut butter
• -Cereal
• -Meals in a box such as Hamburger Helper or Tuna Helper
• -Personal care items – food stamps do not cover them – such as toothbrushes, soap, toothpaste, sanitary products, or toilet paper.

To learn more about the Natick Service Council, how to help, or how to access services, please visit www.natickservicecouncil.org.

Each month, the Needham Community Council provides food assistance to 150-160 individuals. In the past year, they have seen twenty-three new families come through their doors – all of whom have homes in the community. As in other MetroWest towns, this is because many of these people are unemployed or underemployed.

Those in need are able to come to the food pantry once a month and choose the items they would like from a shopping list. They then receive food based on their family size, as well as what is in stock at the pantry.

They have been able to meet the increased needs thanks to the support of their community. “It has been amazing to see how people responded to the greater need,” said Sandy Robinson, “Contributions have increased because everyday person has recognized that it could be them.”

In order to continue to meet the needs of the community the Needham Service Council is always looking for volunteers and donations – both financial and in kind. Current in kind needs include:

• -Items to celebrate birthdays such as cake mix, frosting, and candles.
• -Canned fruit
• -Canned vegetables
• -Cooking oil
• -Personal care items that food stamps do not cover such as soap, toilet paper, and toothpaste.

To learn more about the Needham Community Council, how to help, or how to access services, please visit www.needhamcommunitycouncil.org/services/pantry.html .