Our Location and Schedule
Local Food Drives
News and Events
Who We Serve
Get Involved/You Can
Make a Difference
Our Annual Report
Partners and Supporters
Managing Committee
Food Facts and Resources
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Oakham Scouts Support Our Food Pantry
More than a dozen Oakham cub scouts from Cub Scout
Pack 144 (and one local girl scout from Troop 65008) delivered more
than 40 bags and boxes of non-perishable food items to the Barre Food
Pantry on Dec. 2. Cub Master Augie Fauteaux said the 40-member cub pack
solicits the food items during the holiday season each year along with
Boy Scouts of America scouting groups across the nation. Flyers are
distributed to homes in Oakham and Barre on November 13 and pick up
arrangements are made during the weekend of November 19-21. The food
items will be sorted and stored for the next Food Pantry distribution
from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on December 16 at the Barre Congregational Church.
Food Pantry President David Petrovick was on hand to greet the scouts
and thank them for their donation.
Dear Friends,
We want to continue to fulfill our mission to get food to hungry and
food insecure clients. But we must also protect them, ourselves and the
larger community from a catastrophic spread of this novel COVID-19 to
which no-one has immunity. Many of our clients and our volunteers are
classified as high-risk due to their age and/or underlying health
conditions.
In order to maintain safe physical distances
between volunteers and between volunteers and clients, we will be
operating a "drive-through” style distribution. Clients will line up in
their vehicles on Park Street and proceed into the right hand (east)
entrance driveway of the Barre Congregational Church.
They will remain in their cars. They'll drive up and be checked in by a
volunteer, then drive up to where their groceries will be put into the
trunk or wayback of their vehicles by volunteers. Based on the success
of the March 19th distribution, we believe this “drive-through” style is
the safest possible way for us to get food to clients and to help keep
everyone well.
Usually the volunteers and clients are able to greet each other with a
smile. With the guidance now being to wear masks in public, we encourage
everyone to wear a mask of some kind. We hope you will still hear the
smile in our voices.
(At the bottom of this email are links to simple but effective Mask
ideas.)
PLEASE NOTE:
While we typically have had an “all hands on deck” approach to welcoming
volunteers, this Wednesday we will once again be working with just a
very small crew. We have been preparing for April 8, by only working in
shifts at the pantry, in small family groups - people who live in the
same household.
Please do not arrive to volunteer without contacting me first. We
sincerely appreciate all the volunteers who have stayed home - - we know
this is not easy for you to do!
Thank you for your continued support of the Barre Food Pantry.
Many thanks,
Our Location and Schedule
Local Food Drives
News and Events
Who We Serve
Get Involved/You Can
Make a Difference
Our Annual Report
Partners and Supporters
Managing Committee
Food Facts and Resources
|
Barre Food Pantry Weather Policy
If, due to bad weather, school is canceled in the
Quabbin Regional School District on a scheduled food
pantry distribution day, distribution will be postponed
until the following day.
If school is called off for multiple days, distribution
will take place on the first day the Quabbin District
reopens.
If, due to bad weather, school opening is delayed one or
two hours, food pantry distribution will take place as
usual.
To check the status of the Quabbin Regional School
District on a specific day,
consult their website
www.qrsd.org,
the school sign in front of the Middle-High School, or
WBZ, WCVB, WHDH, FOX 25, Channel 40, NECN, or WSRS.
We have been in
touch with ElderBus about helping clients who
live at Grandview Terrace who can pick up their own groceries but
need transportation to do so. ElderBus clients sign up for their rides on the Monday of
distribution week. The agency will pick up Grandview Terrace clients,
bring them to the Food Pantry and wait for them to pick up their
groceries. We will call the agency, pre-make bags for our clients to
minimize the waiting time for the bus, help them shop and load
their groceries onto the bus. We deliver food to those who are unable to leave their homes or
who live in
locations other than Grandview Terrace.
Ways you can help:
Local Food Drives
For more information, please
visit www.barrefoodbank.org.
For more
information contact Sonja Blaney at (978) 355-6921. To
make a donation or to plan a food drive please
contact or to take advantage of pantry services or
for other information about the pantry, contact
Chuck Radlo at (978) 355-6463.
Organize a food drive.
Jennifer Lish and Chuck
Radlo
Food Pantry Adds a 2d
Distribution Day
The Barre Food Pantry at the Congregational
Church is adding a second monthly distribution
of food to area residents. The additional
distribution will be held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on
the third Thursday of each month. The first
evening distribution was on April 18. .
The regular monthly food pantry distribution is
held from 10 a.m. to noon on the second
Wednesday of each month at the church. That
schedule will not change. David Petrovick, food
pantry executive director, said the additional
monthly distribution will offer more
opportunities for area residents to use the
Pantry. "Due to changes in the economy, client
comments and input from other nearby food
pantries, it became clear that our current
single distribution in the morning was difficult
for some to attend," Petrovick said. "We had
been thinking about making more food available
to more people for some time and our volunteers
agreed to sign on to doubling the distribution."
Chuck Radlo, a long-time volunteer at the
pantry, said, “Many of our clients are employed
during the day but are still eligible for food
assistance. This second scheduled distribution
each month will allow those clients access to
the full range of foods the Barre Food Pantry
can provide. Coordinating that time with
the Barre Congregational Church's Free Community
Friendship Supper, clients will have the
opportunity to receive a warm meal in good
company and to go home with groceries that will
help meet their food needs during the month.”
“We are more than grateful
to our Barre Food Pantry volunteers for the
additional time commitment needed to set up for
this second distribution and for helping clients
in the process of shopping their way through the
available groceries. They saw the need and are
stepping up to meet it.” Radlo said it will take
some time to determine whether the added
distribution will shift some residents to the
new evening pickup session or reduce the number
of home deliveries made each month. A second
distribution each month will require more
volunteer hours. If more residents are able to
use the food pantry it could increase our
monthly allotments from the Worcester Country
Food Bank.
The Barre Food Pantry provides food assistance
to more than 100 low-income residents and
families in Barre, Oakham, New Braintree and
Wheelwright at the Barre Congregational Church
on the town common. To learn more about
distributions, dates and times and for more
information about volunteering at the food
pantry, go to
www.barrefoodbank.org.
The food pantry welcomes volunteers of all ages
and abilities and extends its thanks to its
volunteers and community supporters.
Hannaford's of North Brookfield regularly
donates meat, bread and pastry to the pantry.
Hannaford's has a drop off for non perishable
food/health and beauty products for the food
pantry. The food pantry relies on donations of
non-perishable food from the community and buys
additional food from the Worcester County Food
Bank in Shrewsbury.
Other local drop-off locations include the Barre
Family Health Center (reception desk); the Barre
Senior Center on South Barre Road; Woods
Memorial Library; St. Joseph's Church and the
South Barre Rod & Gun Club. The gun club is now
a permanent collection site for the Barre Food
Pantry. The club is currently collecting
cleaning products, health and beauty products,
laundry supplies, infant products and
non-perishable food items. Your local church
may also collect items for the food pantry after
weekly services. Please ask at your church.
Barre Lions Support the Food Pantry
From left: Lion Michelle Biron, David Petrovick, Food
Pantry executive director, and Lions Joe Petracone, Sal
Imperato and Tim Mara.
The Food Pantry collects food from local donors, area
markets and the Worcester County Food Bank. Volunteers
serve more than 100 area families with a twice-monthly
distribution at the Barre Congregational Church and with
emergency deliveries during the month.
Donations of non-perishable food are accepted at the
Barre Family Health Center (reception desk), the Barre
Senior Center on South Barre Road, the Woods Memorial
Library, at St. Joseph's Church and at The South Barre
Rod & Gun Club. For information
call Sonja Blaney at (978)
355-6921. For emergency assistance or answers to other
questions call Chuck Radlo at (978) 355-6463.
Barre
Congregational Church
Food Pantry
2018 Annual
Report
Reduction
in use due to a change in clients’ needs
The
Food Pantry saw an overall reduction in use across all
age groups and towns served this year, as clients with
jobs have told us that they have difficulty using the
Pantry due to it’s morning distribution time.
While it is great news that the unemployment rate has
fallen to very low levels, it has to be noted that many
of those new jobs are in part-time and/or low wage jobs,
and many people are not sharing in the economic boom.
Additionally, we have learned from neighboring Pantries
that Barre residents are using their Pantry’s evening
hours. It is apparent that we need to make a change to
make sure we better reach those in need here at home.
Also of note, seniors and shut-ins have indicated that
they have difficulty regularly using the Pantry, so we
could use your help in soliciting for volunteers for
delivery to shut-ins. Starting in April 2019, the Pantry
will launch a once monthly evening distribution
coinciding with the Community Dinner on the 3rd
Thursday of the month. We feel that clients can
socialize over a hearty meal, and take home some
groceries as well. There will be greater opportunity for
collaboration, cooperation and fellowship.
The Pantry typically serves 80- 120 families each month
and our clients take home a wide variety of
non-perishable food items along with fresh fruit,
vegetables, eggs, dairy, meat and bread, totaling 25-40
lbs. per family. We
made 12 monthly trips to the Worcester County Food Bank
(WCFB) in Shrewsbury, bringing back nearly 30,000 lbs.
of food allotted to us from the USDA, the Massachusetts
Emergency Feeding Assistance Program (MEFAP), and food
items donated to the WCFB by grocery retailers and
distributors.
We were the recipient of food drives held by the Quabbin
Regional Schools this last year. We wish to thank the
Barre Lions Club, Knights of Columbus, Barre Family
Health Center and countless individuals and
organizations for their significant contributions in
2018.The
Pantry uses monetary donations to buy non-perishable and
perishable items from local farms and businesses. We are
very thankful for all of our supporters and volunteers;
we cannot do our work without your help.
Dave Petrovick, Director
Congregational
Church
Food
Pantry
2017 Annual Report
The BCC Food Pantry
saw another very
busy year in 2017,
with a 5% increase
in the number total
people served over
2016, along with a
notable 32% increase
in the number of new
people seen at the
Pantry. It appears
that our region is
gaining new faces!
Children aged 5-17
and adults aged
18-64 were the
majority of whom we
serve. Use of the
Pantry by our
elderly decreased in
2017, the first-ever
significant downward
trend we’ve seen
since we started
keeping electronic
records in 2007! Are
there fewer older
needy citizens in
our area? Or, are
they unable to avail
themselves to the
Pantry?
The pantry typically
serves 100- 150
families each month
and our clients take
home a wide variety
of non-perishable
food items along
with fresh fruit,
vegetables, eggs,
dairy, meat and
bread, totaling
25-40 lbs. per
family!
The Worcester County
Food Bank in
Shrewsbury has
highlighted the
Pantry in their 2017
annual report as an
exemplary Pantry
offering a wide
variety of fresh and
healthy foods. This
could not have been
possible without the
support of all our
contributors!
We
made 12 monthly
trips to the
Worcester County
Food Bank (WCFB) in
Shrewsbury, bringing
back nearly
34,000 lbs. of
food allotted to us
from the USDA, the
Massachusetts
Emergency Feeding
Assistance Program
(MEFAP), and food
items donated to the
WCFB by grocery
retailers and
distributors.
Several large food
drives held by the
Quabbin Regional
Schools, Barre VFW,
Barre Family Health
Center and countless
individuals dropping
off donations at the
area’s Churches, the
Woods Memorial
Library, the Barre
Senior Center and a
new collection box
at the South Barre
Rod and Gun Club
filled our shelves
to nearly bursting!
Several community
benefits were held
for the Pantry as
well.
The Pantry uses
cash
donations to buy
non-perishable and
perishable items
from local farms and
businesses. We are
very thankful for
all of our
supporters and
volunteers; we
cannot do our work
without you!
Dave Petrovick,
Director
OTHER
WAYS THAT YOU CAN HELP
Drop off non-perishables at
the library or at the Barre Family Health Center.
Contact David Petrovick at the
food bank
978-355-4519 for information about how your group
can hold a food drive.
We can always use
volunteers to help
set up the monthly distributions, carry groceries
for clients each month or help deliver to shut-ins.
For information
call Sonja @ (978) 355-4002. For emergency assistance or
answers to other questions call Chuck @ (978) 355-6463
We will return your call.
|
You
can help our work in the community by Sponsoring a Food
Drive, by making a donation or by giving of your time.
For information about volunteering call Sonja @ (978)
355-6921. For emergency assistance or answers to other
questions call Chuck @ (978) 355-6463 We will return
your call. |
|
|
|
The Barre Food Pantry is located
at the Barre Congregational Church on Park Street.
HOME | DIRECTIONS
| CONTACT |
ABOUT US | NEWS |
CALENDAR |
DONATE | VOLUNTEER |
FOOD DRIVES |
DROP OFFS | SUPPORTERS | COMMITTEE
| FOODFACTS
|
Ways you can help:
Local Food Drives
March
23, 3029
-
Jennifer Lish and Chuck Radlo
Food Pantry Adds a 2d Distribution
Day
The Barre Food Pantry at the Congregational Church is adding a
second monthly distribution of food to area residents. The
additional distribution will be held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on the
third Thursday of each month. The first evening distribution
will be on April 18. The new evening distribution date will
correspond with the monthly Congregational Church Community
Friendship supper at the church on Park Street. The free
community supper is held from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. every month.
Area residents can participate in either or both.
The regular monthly food pantry distribution is held from 10
a.m. to noon on the second Wednesday of each month at the
church. That schedule will not change.
David Petrovick, food pantry executive director, said the
additional monthly distribution will offer more opportunities
for area residents to use the Pantry. "Due to changes in the
economy, client comments and input from other nearby food
pantries, it became clear that our current single distribution
in the morning was difficult for some to attend," Petrovick
said. "We had been thinking about making more food available to
more people for some time and our volunteers agreed to sign on
to doubling the distribution." Chuck Radlo,
a long-time volunteer at the pantry, said, “Many of our clients
are employed during the day but are still eligible for food
assistance. This second scheduled distribution each month will
allow those clients access to the full range of foods the Barre
Food Pantry can provide. Coordinating that time with the
Barre Congregational Church's Free Community Friendship Supper,
clients will have the opportunity to receive a warm meal in good
company and to go home with groceries that will help meet their
food needs during the month.”
“We are more than grateful to our Barre
Food Pantry volunteers for the additional time commitment needed
to set up for this second distribution and for helping clients
in the process of shopping their way through the available
groceries. They saw the need and are stepping up to meet it.”
Radlo said it will take some time to determine whether the added
distribution will shift some residents to the new evening pickup
session or reduce the number of home deliveries made each month.
A second distribution each month will require more volunteer
hours. If more residents are able to use the food pantry it
could increase our monthly allotments from the Worcester Country
Food Bank.
The Barre Food Pantry provides food assistance to more than 100
low-income residents and families in Barre, Oakham, New
Braintree and Wheelwright at the Barre Congregational Church on
the town common. To learn more about distributions, dates and
times and for more information about volunteering at the food
pantry, go to
www.barrefoodbank.org.
The food pantry welcomes volunteers of all ages and abilities
and extends its thanks to its volunteers and community
supporters.
Hannaford's of North Brookfield recently donated $205.84 to help
the Barre Food Pantry meet the needs of government employees
furloughed during the recent federal government shutdown. The
food pantry reached out to help area families affected by the
shutdown as well. During the government shut down, Hannaford's
Corporate Office decided to have each store raise money and
donate it to a local food pantry. The Hannaford Corporate Office
selected the North Brookfield Hannaford to present this money to
the Barre Food Pantry.
Hannaford also regularly donates meat, bread and pastry to the
pantry. Hannaford's has a drop off for non perishable
food/health and beauty products for the food pantry. The food
pantry relies on donations of non-perishable food from the
community and buys additional food from the Worcester County
Food Bank in Shrewsbury. Financial donations to the food pantry
can be sent directly to the church at 30 Park Street, Barre.
Other local drop-off locations include the Barre Family Health
Center (reception desk); the Barre Senior Center on South Barre
Road; Woods Memorial Library; St. Joseph's Church and the South
Barre Rod & Gun Club. The gun club is now a permanent collection
site for the Barre Food Pantry. The club is currently
collecting cleaning products, health and beauty products,
laundry supplies, infant products and non-perishable food
items. Your local church may also collect items for the food
pantry after weekly services. Please ask at your church.
Barre Food Pantry
2018 Annual Report
Reduction in use due to a
change in clients’ needs
The Food Pantry saw
an overall reduction in use across all age groups and towns served this
year, as clients with jobs have told us that they have difficulty using
the Pantry due to it’s morning distribution time.
While it is great news that the unemployment rate has fallen to very low
levels, it has to be noted that many of those new jobs are in part-time
and/or low wage jobs, and many people are not sharing in the economic
boom. Additionally, we have learned from neighboring Pantries that Barre
residents are using their Pantry’s evening hours. It is apparent that we
need to make a change to make sure we better reach those in need here at
home.
Also of note, seniors and shut-ins have indicated that they have
difficulty regularly using the Pantry, so we could use your help in
soliciting for volunteers for delivery to shut-ins. Starting in April
2019, the Pantry will launch a once monthly evening distribution
coinciding with the Community Dinner on the 3rd
Thursday of the month. We feel that clients can socialize over a hearty
meal, and take home some groceries as well. There will be greater
opportunity for collaboration, cooperation and fellowship.
The Pantry typically serves 80- 120 families each month and our clients
take home a wide variety of non-perishable food items along with fresh
fruit, vegetables, eggs, dairy, meat and bread, totaling 25-40 lbs. per
family. We
made 12 monthly trips to the Worcester County Food Bank (WCFB) in
Shrewsbury, bringing back nearly 30,000 lbs. of food allotted to us from
the USDA, the Massachusetts Emergency Feeding Assistance Program
(MEFAP), and food items donated to the WCFB by grocery retailers and
distributors.
We were the recipient of food drives held by the Quabbin Regional
Schools this last year. We wish to thank the Barre Lions Club, Knights
of Columbus, Barre Family Health Center and countless individuals and
organizations for their significant contributions in 2018.The
Pantry uses monetary donations to buy non-perishable and perishable
items from local farms and businesses. We are very thankful for all of
our supporters and volunteers; we cannot do our work without your help.
Dave Petrovick, Director
Congregational
Church
Food
Pantry
2017 Annual Report
The BCC Food
Pantry saw another very busy year in
2017, with a 5% increase in the
number total people served over
2016, along with a notable 32%
increase in the number of new people
seen at the Pantry. It appears that
our region is gaining new faces!
Children aged 5-17 and adults aged
18-64 were the majority of whom we
serve. Use of the Pantry by our
elderly decreased in 2017, the
first-ever significant downward
trend we’ve seen since we started
keeping electronic records in 2007!
Are there fewer older needy citizens
in our area? Or, are they unable to
avail themselves to the Pantry?
The pantry
typically serves 100- 150 families
each month and our clients take home
a wide variety of non-perishable
food items along with fresh fruit,
vegetables, eggs, dairy, meat and
bread, totaling 25-40 lbs. per
family!
The Worcester
County Food Bank in Shrewsbury has
highlighted the Pantry in their 2017
annual report as an exemplary Pantry
offering a wide variety of fresh and
healthy foods. This could not have
been possible without the support of
all our contributors!
We made 12 monthly
trips to the Worcester County Food
Bank (WCFB) in Shrewsbury, bringing
back nearly
34,000 lbs. of food allotted to
us from the USDA, the Massachusetts
Emergency Feeding Assistance Program
(MEFAP), and food items donated to
the WCFB by grocery retailers and
distributors. Several large food
drives held by the Quabbin Regional
Schools, Barre VFW, Barre Family
Health Center and countless
individuals dropping off donations
at the area’s Churches, the Woods
Memorial Library, the Barre Senior
Center and a new collection box at
the South Barre Rod and Gun Club
filled our shelves to nearly
bursting! Several community benefits
were held for the Pantry as well.
The Pantry uses
cash donations to buy
non-perishable and perishable items
from local farms and businesses. We
are very thankful for all of our
supporters and volunteers; we cannot
do our work without you!
Dave Petrovick,
Director
OTHER WAYS THAT YOU CAN
HELP
Drop off non-perishables at the library or
at the Barre Family Health Center.
Contact
David Petrovick at the food bank
978-355-4519 for information about how your group can
hold a food drive.
Call Sonja - we can always use volunteers to help
set up the monthly distribution, carry groceries for clients each
month or help deliver to shut-ins.
For information about volunteering call Sonja @
(978) 355-4002. For emergency assistance or answers to other questions
call Chuck @ (978) 355-6463 We will return your call.
|
You can help our
work in the community by Sponsoring a Food Drive, by making a donation
or by giving of your time.
For information call Sonja @ (978) 355-6921. For
emergency assistance or answers to other questions call Chuck @ (978)
355-6463or David @ (978) 355-4519
We will return your call. |
