April 28, 2025 newsletter

 

Good morning everyone! What an extraordinarily beautiful day it is! Mike and I joked that this is THE day that is the reason why we don't all move out of Massachusetts during the long winters. There's usually one of these special days in the fall too, so if you miss this one, you'll have another chance in a few months!

I had an email correspondence with a reporter for the Sentinel and Enterprise (link to the article)
a couple of weeks ago. She reminded me that not everyone knows the terminology that people like me use all the time – food banks vs food pantries – so I thought I should mention it here as well. In Massachusetts, we have several large food banks, which are the collectors and repositories of food, from whom food pantries like ours can receive some products each week. What we receive depends upon what they receive, and on how large our program is. You've heard me mention the Merrimack Valley Food Bank before: it's located in Lowell, and it's the food bank that we visit weekly (thank you to Dan C and Bob M for faithfully picking up there each week!).

For the past couple of years, approximately 10 – 20% of the food we give out each week has come from MVFB. During the month of our move, it was 100%, and although that was an unusual circumstance, we were incredibly grateful that they were there for us. I believe that we are settling back into approximately a 20 – 25% range. So thanks to all of you, about 75% of what we give away is community funded, coming from either your donations of food or of money. That 25% is incredibly important: that is all of our meat, several of our most popular pantry items, and some of our produce.

And now the Merrimack Valley Food Bank is asking for our help and advocacy.

Rising food costs disproportionately impact low-income households, which already allocate a larger portion of their income toward groceries than wealthier households, contributing to a higher demand for food assistance programs like Stone Soup Kitchen. Because of cuts at the federal level (the USDA cuts, especially), the support for food pantries and hot meal programs at the state level is strained. We are joining with the Merrimack Valley Food Bank (along with Greater Boston, Worcester, and Western MA) to encourage those of you who are willing to do email or phone call advocacy to call about these two issues, as soon as you can.

If you can help with some phone calls and/or emails, please scroll down to the information below my signature line. There is the information on the two programs we are looking to support, and links that will take you straight to the templates for what to say or write, if you'd like a guide. Thank you in advance for your help!

If you can shop for us this week, we have several items that we are low on: 18 oz containers of oatmeal, spaghetti sauce, fruit cups, and pudding cups. We can take drop-offs at the pantry (through the gray door next to the parking lot on Cambridge Street) on Wednesdays from 10 to noon, Fridays from 4 to 5, and Saturdays only from 9 to 10. Please note that these are shorter hours than before, because of parking logistics. Please do not leave food at the door outside of these hours. The bin is always available at Shop n' Save if those times don't suit. Please leave a note in the bag with your name so we know whom to thank! We are located at 21 Washington Street, Suite C, Ayer MA 01432

I love you all...thank you so much for the support and for the encouragement you bring!

Cyndi

   

• Massachusetts Emergency Food Assistance Program (MEFAP): 
• Adequate funding for MEFAP is essential to allow our food banks to continue providing food to those in need, and I urge you to ensure this funding is available. In September of 2024, 18.4% of all households in MA reported food insecurity, and among households with children, food insecurity levels are closer to 21.5%. Statewide, food pantry usage increased by nearly 79% between 2020 and 2023, while MEFAP funding grew by 38% during the same period. Additionally, more than half of MEFAP funding supports food producers and farmers in Massachusetts, making it a critical economic stimulus. 

• The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP): 
• ...the Merrimack Valley Food Bank, which is continuing to serve over 70,000 people every month through over 100 member agencies, including food pantries, residential programs, schools and soup kitchens. There are approximately 670,000 households in Massachusetts who receive SNAP benefits. Any proposed reductions to SNAP would place immense strain on a Massachusetts food assistance network already struggling to meet an increase in demand, leaving many without reliable access to nutritious food. Furthermore, local grocers, farmers, and other food suppliers will face significant losses.
• Please urge your fellow members of the legislature to protect SNAP benefits from these harmful cuts. Any reduction in funding will exacerbate food insecurity, forcing more families to rely on emergency food aid that is already stretched to its limits.