All-volunteer effort a response to SNAP cuts
A group of neighbors, with the support of St. Gregory’s pastor, Rev. Jack Ahern, has launched an effort to help neighbors struggling with food insecurity this season.
A pantry has been installed next to the church’s side entrance on Mother Julia Road, where volunteers are using a re-purposed wardrobe underneath a metal staircase for the storage of non-perishable food items and hygienic products.
A look inside the wardrobe-turned-food pantry at St. Gregory’s on a recent weekend.
“In the wake of the threatened SNAP cuts, there was a bunch of activity, mostly on Facebook, from neighbors trying to figure out how we were going to help neighbors access food,” said Joyce Linehan, who lives in Lower Mills.
She and others looked at the Dorchester Community Fridge on Claybourne Street for inspiration.
“It just dawned on me that we should try to do this in Lower Mills,” said Linhan, “and so I approached Ann Walsh and asked her if she would be interested in becoming involved in this.”
Said Walsh: “When Joyce brought the idea to me, I thought it was a great way to respond to the SNAP benefits crisis of the moment and the larger issue of food insecurity in our community.
“Neighbors were quick to sign up to help with set up, stocking, and are doing daily checks to ensure that all is running smoothly.”
With the help of the pastor, Linehan and Walsh planned how to coordinate the pantry’s launch.
“Ann and I figured out that the best way to do this would be to identify ten people in the neighborhood so that seven of us could each commit to a day where it’s our responsibility to go look and make sure that there’s food in the pantry and that it’s not messy,” said Linehan. “Seven do that, and then three are kind of like backups.”
The team keeps the pantry running and open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, just a “little bit off the beaten path.” Linehan said the private location makes the distribution “a little bit more dignified.”
The pantry, which was installed by Morgan Foley, the owner of Castlemain Construction, should not be confused with a fridge.
“We don’t have access to electricity, so we’re trying to keep it to shelf-stable food. There’s no meat or produce or anything like that,” said Linehan.
Everything inside the pantry has been donated by neighbors. Those interested in getting involved can reach out to Linehan or just drop off goods to the pantry.
Popular items include oil, sugar, flour, cereal, and shelf-stable milk. There is also a drawer devoted to hygienic items like toothbrushes, soap, and shampoo, and a notebook for requests.
“It’s an incredible initiative from the neighbors of Lower Mills,” sais Rev. Ahern. “Their generosity has been incredible, responding to a need that seems to be growing by leaps and bounds.”
Linehan noted that “the SNAP benefits were restored for the time being, but it’s sort of exposed a vulnerability in the neighborhood. It is important for our neighbors who are struggling right now to know that there are neighbors around them who are concerned about that.”
