Al Nelson Friendship Center Food Pantry In North Adams Offers Lifts
Fighting hunger in the Berkshires has a lot to do with transportation. That is what the Al Nelson Friendship Center Food Pantry in North Adams has recently discovered.
But luckily for us there also many good people who live in the Berkshires and go the extra mile to helps those less fortunate any way they can. The other part is that there are parents or a parent working more than one job and are still not making ends meet.
The Berkshire Eagle reports that many visitors to the pantry don’t own a vehicle, and public transportation can be inconvenient, infrequent and costly, not to mention that carrying groceries back home sometimes is not the easiest thing to do.
Some walk a long way to get to the volunteer-run pantry, which has served families in North Adams, Clarksburg and Florida since it opened its doors in 2011.
The Pantry used to pay for taxi rides to help folks get to the pantry and back home but last year they changed that, Volunteers started giving out rides a total of 1,354 rides saving the pantry nearly $10,000 that it would otherwise have spent on taxis, which cost around $7 a ride.
The money saved goes back to buying food and other supplies.
If you would like to donate to this non -profit group which does so much for the community click on the link below, or you can call them By Phone: (413) 664-0123
Remember Your donation is it is tax-deductible
If you and your family need help:
The Al Nelson Friendship Center Food Pantry is here to help you by providing food to supplement your main grocery sources. You can visit the Pantry twice a month. All are eligible. You must be 18 years of age to register. In order to receive USDA foods you need to be enrolled in one of the following government programs:
SNAP, WIC, MassHealth, SSI, Welfare, Fuel Assistance, Vet’s Aid, Head Start, AFDC, or fall into USDA income guidelines. However, there are plenty of other foods available even if you do not meet the USDA requirements.
Please register in the basement of the First Baptist Church on the corner of Main and Eagle Streets. We also host many local social service agencies that can determine if there are other resources that could provide additional assistance.
As a client-choice pantry, we encourage you to take only what you need. There are quantity guidelines based on the size of your household.
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