While the coronavirus pandemic has led many organizations to reduce services or close, the Northampton Survival Center remains open and is increasing the amount of shelf-stable food available to feed families in need.
We’ve all seen the empty shelves at the grocery stores, and felt the anxiety that this produces. Many families in the 18 communities we serve are feeling especially food-insecure at this time, so the Survival Center is expanding services. We are helping families stock up by providing more food to each family per visit to the center. (Getting more food now may make a difference if travel to the center becomes more difficult in the coming weeks.)
Survival Center Director Heidi Nortonsmith met early with staff to plan how changes to the distribution process could help our most vulnerable neighbors during this time of crisis.
The center is making other program changes out of concern for the safety of our staff, volunteers and clients. One was to cancel our main fundraising event, which supports our program to feed children. But although the event was cancelled, the need for support continues. In fact, now that kids aren’t eating lunches at school, families need more food this spring as well as during the summer. Sending a donation that we can use to buy food now would be a great help.
The coming weeks will bring more changes, but our work will continue with help from community volunteers and donors. Visit northamptonsurvival.org for updates about our services, and about our response to the COVID-19 virus.
Debin Bruce
Northampton
The writer is a board member of the Northampton Survival Center.