There’s a saying here in New England that if you don’t like the weather, just wait five minutes. On May 10, the staff and volunteers at the Northampton Survival Center were crossing our fingers and hoping that a week of downpours wouldn’t hinder the flow of food arriving at the center through the Annual Post Office Food Drive. The letter carriers and community of the greater Northampton area didn’t let us down. By noon or so the sun was high and the donations were rolling in. The postal trucks delivered bag after bag of grocery items that will excite and delight our clients. Volunteers arrived with smiles and ready hands. Excitement, dedication, and community flowed through our pantry on the 10th as people worked together to bring what good they could into the world.

Thank you to all who donated — whether food or time or money — to make our community a stronger, healthier place. In a world where making a difference seems harder and harder, you showed us that a bottle of maple syrup, a jumbo-sized box of Shredded Wheat, or a family’s hands working together to sort the canned corn from the rice truly does make a difference. With over 15,000 pounds of food and toiletries collected this year, all that’s left to say is … We couldn’t do it without you!

Alexander Leger-Small, assistant program director, Northampton Survival Center

Northampton