Council of Social Concern' Karen Colatrella says the need for food donations is up over the last few years.
The following is a letter from Karen Colatrella, Woburn Food Pantry Director:
To the Editor:
A recent newspaper headline read, “Hunger Issues Persist Across Massachusetts”. It goes on to state that, according to a recent study by the Food Research and Action Center, nearly one out of six Massachusetts residents reported that they did not have enough money to buy food they or their family needed at some point in 2012.
Project Bread’s most recent Status Report on Hunger also indicates that hunger and food insecurity are increasing. In addition, it reports that there is a widening gap between high- and low-wage earners. The incomes of affluent families have increased considerably, while low-wage earners have seen very little growth in their earnings, making it harder for them to keep up with the cost of living.
None of this surprises us at the Council of Social Concern. Household visits to our Food Pantry are higher this year than last year and higher last year than the year before. I fully expect the need to increase even further with the proposed cuts to many benefit programs, such as WIC (a nutrition program for low-income mothers and children) and SNAP (formerly known as Food Stamps). Unfortunately, this comes at a time when many of our funding sources are either being cut back or drying up altogether.
This devastating combination of greater need and fewer resources is why I am appealing to you now. If you already contribute to our Food Pantry, would it be possible to give just a little bit more? And if you are not yet a contributor, I hope you will consider giving what you can. Together we can meet this crisis and keep our shelves stocked for our most vulnerable neighbors.
We accept non-perishable food within date, cash, checks and local supermarket gift cards. (Please make checks payable to Council of Social Concern Food Pantry).
Thank you!
Karen Colatrella, Food Pantry Director
Council of Social Concern
2 Merrimac Street
Woburn, MA 01801
Phone: 781-935-6495, ext. 208
Fax: 781-935-1923
E-mail: karen@socialconcern.org
