Erica Girgenti: How The Pandemic Impacted Food Insecurity In Western Mass

The Morning Show's Zito and Suzanne speak with Erica Girgenti, Director of the Council of Aging in Adams, MA, about the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts.

"We have been partnering with them for several years now," Girgenti explains. "When I started about 10 years ago, our partnership was just in the form of one of their programs called the Brown Bag, which is a monthly program where they come and bring non-perishable food, and we hand them out to income eligible elders in our community."

When the Council of Aging relocated to the Visitor Center in Adams, they were given an opportunity to utilize another program from the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts.

The Mobile Food Bank "has been a smashing hit in our community," Girgenti raves. "The Mobile Food Bank is designed to help breakdown stigmas about somebody who may or may not need a food pantry or a food bank."

"It's for any age, any income level, and it's fresh fruits and vegetables, frozen meat when available."

Girgenti also noted the impact the COVID-19 pandemic had on food insecurity in the community.

"We were seeing, before the pandemic, 250 households in an hour. And then, with the pandemic, we were over 300 – at some point 340 – households in one hour."

The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts needs your help.

Join Erica Girgenti in the effort to alleviate hunger in Western Mass. Support the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts today.

Photo: Food Bank of Western Massachusetts


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