COLRAIN — As the cost of living continues to soar, it takes neighbors helping neighbors to ensure everyone is warm and fed.
That’s why Nancy Turkle and other community members have started Colrain Food for All, a volunteer effort to help families address food insecurity.
Last year, a group of volunteers raised money to fund breakfast and lunches for students during school breaks, when school-provided meals were not available. Turkle said that this year, volunteers wanted to expand those efforts and, inspired by the work being done at other schools in the county, fill backpacks with food for students at Colrain Central School to bring home. They are now partnering with the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts and are raising money for additional food supplies.
“This is about neighbors sharing resources and helping each other out,” Turkle said. “With the skyrocketing costs of food, health care and pretty much everything, most people are stretched thin, so we wanted to have an effort where neighbors are helping neighbors. … We all need to help each other right now.”
“We all need to help each other right now.”
Colrain resident Nancy Turkle
Turkle said the 10 volunteers that make up Colrain Food for All would like to eventually serve more of the community, but they are currently focusing their efforts on families with school-aged children.
“We want to make sure every child is well-nourished and ready for learning,” Turkle said.
She explained that Colrain Food for All plans to launch its own backpack program, similar to ones at Hawlemont Regional and Rowe Elementary schools. Volunteers will regularly pack food into bags for all students to take home to their families.
“We’re going to give bags to every student so no one has to ask for help,” Turkle said. “People can opt out if they don’t want or need the food, but instead of having to ask for help, everyone is going to get a backpack.”
Colrain Food for All volunteers have been meeting weekly to work through the requirements to partner with the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, including completing ServSafe certification classes. Turkle said they just signed a contract with the food bank and are hoping to finalize details of their program soon so they can begin getting food to Colrain families.
“We’re hoping we can get started in the middle of January, but it might not happen till February,” Turkle said.
She added that while they will be getting food from the food bank, the volunteers are continuing to raise money and they hope to purchase additional food to supplement the supplies that are distributed by the food bank.
“We’d like to be able to offer more food than just what we get from the food bank,” Turkle said. “We’d like to also buy food from local farmers.”
Volunteers have created a fundraising page on zeffy.com, which had raised $626 as of Dec. 31. Additionally, Turkle said collection jars have been placed at the Catamount Country Store and Griswold Memorial Library, which have also collected a few hundred dollars.
“They’ve been an amazing partner,” Turkle said of the Catamount Country Store.
Turkle said these efforts are supported by the Interfaith Council of Franklin County and she encourages other community members to volunteer. Colrain Food for All needs help packing bags, fundraising and conducting community outreach.
“There’s lots of ways people can help, even if it’s just every now and then,” Turkle said. “It’s really been energizing for volunteers. People have been looking for ways to get involved in the community and it’s really fun.”
For more information, contact colrainfoodforall@gmail.com or visit the Colrain Food for All Facebook page. To donate, visit bit.ly/colrainfood.