Natick Food Pantry Seeks To Expand Building As Food Needs Increase

NATICK, MA - An emergency food pantry in Natick that serves 20 MetroWest communities is expanding its building to better serve the increased demand for food- and it needs community support for the final $60,000.

A Place to Turn has been serving the region for more than four decades. Located at the Hartford Street Presbyterian Church at 99 Hartford St., it is unique in that it provides food and personal care items that people individually request rather than pre-packaging boxes, according to Joanne Barry, its executive director who has been with the organization for more than 25 years.

Barry first became aware of food insecurity when she was volunteering as a lunch monitor in the Framingham public schools her children attended. The number of hungry children she saw fueled her desire to bring healthy food options to those who most need it through A Place to Turn.

To adapt to the challenges of COVID-19, the food pantry moved its distribution effort outside to the parking lot. It looks almost like a farmers market, with tents and tables of produce and nonperishable items.

Board member Doreen Thompson added that the current building is about 1,200 square feet. An addition of 500 square feet is needed for freezers and refrigerators as well as to reconfigure the food pantry's setup.

"It's really been like the little engine that could," she said. "The indoor space is really tiny. We organize the food inside, but we serve it outside. And with the volume of people we serve, we cannot move them back inside without this addition."

Now, with prices soaring and food insecurity concerns escalating, Barry said she felt it was imperative to expand the indoor physical space. COVID-19 safety concerns about indoor spaces have declined, making an indoor option practical again.

"We knew that, serving over 20,000 people a year, to come back inside, we really had to renovate our existing space and go ahead and put an addition on so we can better serve the community," she explained. There will be a groundbreaking on Aug. 8.

This is the reason for a capital campaign to raise $500,000 to increase the size of the space. Through grants and donations, A Place to Turn has raised about $440,00 through grants and corporate and personal donations and is turning to the community for help raising the final $60,000.

Over the past six years, Barry said the number of individuals and families needing free food has jumped dramatically. In fiscal year 2018, there were 3,667 families served, an increase of 586 families, as well as 12,790 individuals. In FY 21, the numbers exploded to 4,307 families served, 16,289 individuals and 768 new families. The latest data for FY 22, which ended June 30, show A Place to Turn has helped 20,000 individuals and 4,820 families, including 819 new families.

"From January through June, we just saw a 35% increase in clients - 26% over the last year," she stressed. She noted that 380,000 pounds of food, 98,000 diapers, and 50,000 personal care items were distributed in 2021.

One point Barry made is that many people don't think there is need in the suburbs. However, with price jumps in everything from food to gas, few people are immune to some impact on their budgets. There are also more people moving into the suburbs, including those from diverse and immigrant populations.

"We're also seeing more people coming back to the food pantry after being self sustaining since 2008," she explained. "What is difficult for me is people who were doing okay having to come back."

The most drastic increase has been among elders living on fixed incomes and immigrants, particularly in Framingham and Natick, according to Barry. To better assist them, there are several staff members and volunteers who speak Spanish and Portuguese. There are three full-time staff members, two who work part-time, and about 40 volunteers.

"We really want to make sure that we are serving them respectfully and giving them the food that culturally they are used to eating and feeding their families," Barry said.

"What we learned through the pandemic is that we need to bring the food to where the people are," she added. During the pandemic, they went to South Framingham and also served 2,000 families by delivering food by taxi.

One local program the food pantry partnered with is Hoops and Homework in Framingham, providing snack bags.

She called what the food pantry does "a choice-based shopping experience" because people can request what they need rather than be given a standard box, adding dignity to what can be an uncomfortable experience.

"We have been the model food pantry in the area, and a lot of other food pantries have come to us to see what our model was pre-pandemic," Barry said. "We thought, let's let a mom come in with her family and shop for what they need. It was just much more respectful."

There is also a site-specific app that allows people to make their food selections that was picked up by Apple, she added.

The new addition will provide indoor shopping experience, which will lead to less food waste. The farmers market also will be located outside to offer additional items like fresh spices.

Another program that has taken off during the pandemic is a diaper distribution program. This year, 212,000 diapers were distributed, more than double than during the previous year.

"People understand what we are trying to do, and that is building a healthier community," Barry said.

For more information and to donate, go to A Place to Turn's website. There will be a need for more volunteers when the building expands.