The Acton Food Pantry (AFP, the Pantry) is now entering its third month of operations at the new location on Maple Street, adjacent to the South Acton Commuter Rail station. On Friday, April 10, I had the opportunity to visit during a volunteer shift with not one, but two, crews on duty.
Private companies often send volunteer crews to nonprofit organizations and, on this day, a crew from Citizens Energy Corporation (CEC) joined the morning shift at the Pantry by restocking the shelves emptied during a very busy week of serving clients. Lindsey Miller, recently promoted to the position of Pantry Director, guided the visiting crew. Miller shared that 388 families had picked up groceries from the pantry that week.
Although 50% of the clients hail from Acton and Boxborough, families who pick up food travel from 71 communities, including Lowell and Worcester. “Forty percent of Massachusetts households are food insecure,” Miller noted. No referral is needed to register as a client, except for those who take advantage of a small home delivery program the pantry runs.
Lisa Gordon, executive director, shared the ways AFP is unique. “We provide a more dignified, independent ‘shopping’ experience. The big innovation for us is to allow clients, with a little guidance, to select what they need.” A food pantry is meant to supplement groceries, not provide 100% of a household’s food needs. According to the AFP website, “Clients receive 4 days’ worth of food that they choose from our shelves. This allotment includes canned goods, staples, meat, eggs, dairy products, bread, and fresh fruit and vegetables. The Pantry also provides baby food, formula, and diapers to those with babies in their household, and other basic household products to all families.” Most pantries are not open evening hours, but AFP operates until 7:00 p.m. on Wednesdays. Most pantries do not provide baby food and formula, but AFP does.
The new location has enabled an expansion of services. AFP is now open four days/week, and has doubled the amount of available space from the previous location in Boxborough, allowing for more food donations to be accepted and stored that the pantry was previously forced to reject. The cold storage at the Maple Street location has increased by 2.5 times. Gordon was happy to show off the expansive interior of the walk-in refrigerator. The walk-in freezer space is just as roomy. The garage allows for storage of additional non-perishable items, and also houses the mobile pantry vehicle.
The mobile pantry, which also offers food selection for clients, serves the Acton Housing Authority’s Windsor Green and Sachem Way communities. Gordon said they are considering the addition of one more community. The program, now in its third year, is funded by a grant received from the Cummings Foundation.
The Pantry has about 250 volunteers coordinated by Terri Frankel and Hae Hart, and they are always looking for more. There are many jobs to do in addition to weekly on-site shifts. Substitutes are a lifeline, and drivers are needed to pick up donations from the area grocery stores.
As part of the Friday morning volunteer crew, Frankel’s spouse Allan, was working on rearranging shelving in the market space to improve accessibility and efficiency. In response to a query about whether he is part of the Friday crew, he noted with a wry smile, “I do whatever Terri tells me to do. I just picked up 150 lbs. of food from the Market Basket in Littleton.” Gordon shared that the pantry receives 700 lbs. of food from Trader Joe’s, Stop & Shop, and Market Basket twice a week.
CEC is a non-profit renewable energy company founded by Joseph P. Kennedy II, and led today by Joseph P. Kennedy III, that provides energy assistance to low-income households by reinvesting profits from its dozens of businesses. In 2016, the company shifted from heating oil assistance to a focus on community solar, battery storage and microgrids, and transmission projects. Kristina Perez, CEC’s Director of Charitable Programs, heads an office of eight staff and arranges monthly community service engagements for the team.
After restocking the shelves with shelf-stable milk, canned soups, boxed cereal, bottles of oil, and other items, the crew, including the company’s president, did the work of filling “emergency bags” in reusable totes with the company logo. The Pantry keeps these bags on hand for anyone who shows up without an appointment or is experiencing a food emergency. This system ensures that no one is turned away or goes home empty-handed.
In addition to funding support, food donations, and volunteers, the AFP is looking for riders to join their team for the 15th Annual Ride and Stride for Food on Sunday, September 27.
Alissa Nicol is a member of Acton’s Select Board and writes frequently for the Acton Exchange about community events and institutions.
