Salem Pantry Seeks Donations Amid Record Food Demand In September

SALEM, MA — The Salem Pantry is seeking additional community donations amid a record number of visits and food demand on the North Shore in recent months.

The Salem Pantry said there were 2,655 unique visitors in September — the highest level in its history. The Salem Pantry has expanded services in recent months to include The Market storefront location on Leavitt Street with its 6,766 visits in September more than doubling the 3,295 visits in September 2022.

The Salem Pantry directors said the increase is indicative of a continuing trend in heightened demand from August.

"The rise in guests seeking assistance at The Salem Pantry this year stresses the harsh reality faced by low-income families in Salem and the North Shore," The Salem Pantry Executive Director Robyn Burns said in an email to Patch. "With the rising cost of living and the uncertainty around support from SNAP benefits and WIC due to the possible government shutdown an increasing number of families are turning to food pantries to supplement their weekly grocery expenses."

The Salem Pantry is the second on the North Shore to reach out to the community for added assistance in recent weeks after officials at the Anchor Food Pantry in Swampscott did the same following a drop in its allocation from the Greater Boston Food Bank because of short staffing.

Burns said the need is only expected to increase heading into the winter.

"During the holidays, guest visits dramatically increase, and we work diligently to meet this

need," Burns said. "It is also a time when the goodwill of our local community traditionally shines brightly to support this effort to provide food for so many."

Those looking for more information on The Salem Pantry, its services or how to make a monetary or food donation can go here.

Patch has partnered with Feeding America to help raise awareness on behalf of the millions of Americans facing hunger. Feeding America, which supports 200 food banks across the country, estimates that in 2020, more than 54 million Americans will not have enough nutritious food to eat due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

This is a Patch social good project; Feeding America receives 100 percent of donations.

Find out how you can donate in your community or find a food pantry near you.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)