BERNARDSTON — Though everyone was wearing a mask, it was easy to tell the faces hidden behind them all wore smiles as volunteers distributed nearly 2,000 pounds of nonperishable food during the Bernardston Senior Center’s “pop-up” food pantry Wednesday afternoon.
Vehicles lined up one by one along Library Street, spilling out onto Route 10, while the team of volunteers passed out the boxes of food to roughly 80 senior households in just over a half an hour.
“Many hands make the work light,” said Town Coordinator Louis Bordeaux as he placed canned goods in a box and passed it down the line.
Senior Center Director Hayley Bolton said she spent the last two weeks planning the event. Bolton has a background working with food pantries, and previously worked with the Amherst Survival Center.
“I love food pantry distribution,” Bolton said. “Everybody leaves happy — the volunteers and recipients.”
The Franklin Area Survival Center picked up the food from the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts and delivered it to the Senior Center. There, the food was unloaded by members of the Fire Department, including Chief Peter Shedd.
Selectboard members helped pack up boxes to be distributed. The volunteers operated on a no-contact pick-up system where they encouraged recipients to stay in their vehicles and have the food loaded into their trunks. In addition to food, cotton masks sewn “with love” by Senior Center members were available for anyone in need.
“The boxes are packed with about enough food for three or four days’ worth of meals for a household of two,” Bolton noted.
The nonperishable foods included canned fruits and vegetables, soups, peanut butter, rice, spaghetti, cereals, cheeses and eggs. Bolton said the Senior Center will assess the feasibility of holding another pop-up pantry in May.
Recipients were also given information on signing up for the Senior Center’s brown bag food program. The Senior Center has been providing meals Monday through Friday each week as part of the LifePath meal service. Bolton said 50 meals were handed out last Wednesday alone.
“I need to give a huge thanks to our kitchen crew,” Bolton said, “who have pretty much been working since day one of the pandemic.”
In addition to providing meals and groceries, Senior Center employees and volunteers — including Selectboard members — have been conducting outreach calls to Bernardston’s seniors.
Zack DeLuca can be reached at zdeluca@recorder.com or 413-930-4579.