Franklin County Hunger Task Force will not hold its 16th annual Fill the Belly Bus Community Food Drive this year because of the pandemic but instead will hold Hunger Action Week to bring attention to hunger throughout the county.
“The COVID-19 pandemic is shining a light on increasing food insecurity in Franklin County,” Task Force Co-Chair Justin Costa said. “We see an even greater need to make sure that children, families and everyone in Franklin County has enough nutritious food to eat by supporting Franklin County’s many food access programs. And, we must reduce the number of people who need food assistance by supporting systemic change that addresses inequity and the root causes of food insecurity.”
Franklin County Hunger Action Week will be held Sept. 20 through 26. The Task Force has been meeting throughout the summer to plan.
In the past, buses stopped at sites across the county to collect donations, but to keep everyone safe, organizers decided to go virtual this year. The food drive, which started because the Center for Self-Reliance food pantry and others noticed they were busy in August, has collected as much as 6,000 pounds of food and $4,000 in a year.
Costa said one of the reasons August has been so busy for organizations like the food pantry is because summer youth meals programs end and school doesn’t start until several weeks after.
This year, it is still unclear about whether schools will reopen for in-person learning in the fall because of COVID-19. The state is requiring school systems across the state to have reopening plans, whether in-person, remote or a combination of both, by mid-August.
All donations are shared among four local food pantries and meal programs: Community Action’s Center for Self-Reliance food pantry, Franklin County Community Meals Program, Stone Soup Café and Franklin Area Survival Center. Over the last 14 years, the food drive has collected more than 25 tons of food.
Task Force Co-Chair Mary McClintock said, “Staff and volunteers from food pantries and meal programs across Franklin County are working hard to make sure everyone has food. During Hunger Action Week, there will be many ways for everyone to take action to support programs and to reduce the number of our neighbors who need food assistance.”
The current plans include media and social media campaigns, opportunities for individuals, families, businesses, organizations and communities of faith to support food access programs, educational workshops about addressing root causes of hunger, including a virtual version of the Task Force’s “Changing the Story: Overcoming Hunger in Our Community” workshop, educational and action opportunities for children and daily action spotlights on concrete actions that can be taken to address root causes.
Donations can be made online at communityaction.us or checks can be made out to “Community Action Pioneer Valley.” Mail to Franklin County Hunger Action Week, Community Action, 393 Main St., Greenfield, MA 01301.
If people would like to take part in the planning, contact Costa or McClintock at 413-376-1108 or email them at: jcosta@communityaction.us or mmclintock@communityaction.us. Visit: www.communityaction.us.
Reach Anita Fritz at 413-772-9591 or afritz@recorder.com.