Bay Path Gives Gift of Food
12.20.2011
Author: Cara Gardner
Longmeadow, MA – Bay Path College’s annual holiday party had plenty of good food and cheer – and lots of good will. The entire faculty and staff community donated to two local food banks: the
Enfield Food Shelf and the
Food Bank of Western Massachusetts. Both food banks have reported a record number of families receiving food assistance this year. “It’s a sign of what’s happening in the world,” said Linda Bridge, Executive Director for the Enfield Food Bank. “But we having very giving people in this world and it restores faith in humanity.” The major storms of 2011, along with a sluggish economy and underemployment, have created need for hundreds of families who, just a few years ago, donated to the very food banks they now need assistance from. The Enfield Food Shelf feeds an average of 400 families a week, which is more than twice the number it has served in previous years. Over the holidays, Bridge says that number will reach 500 or 600 families. The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts serves Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden, and Hampshire Counties, and distributes over seven and a half million pounds of food each year to families suffering from food insecurity. They assist over 15,000 people per week.
Bay Path’s faculty and staff donated a total of 722 pounds of food to these food banks, along with $1,050 in cash, and about $150 worth of Stop & Shop gift cards. One of these gift cards has already served its purpose. “We gave it to a long-time client who was trying to get to his third job interview with a company,” says Bridge with the Enfield Food Shelf. “He didn’t have enough gas to get to the interview. The Stop & Shop card can be used to buy gas. We can’t wait to hear whether he was hired. This is the kind of stuff we are trying to do. This was a little miracle.”
To get a better idea of how much far these donations go, picture this: every one dollar donated allows the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts to buy $13 worth of food. The cash collected at Bay Path College’s holiday party will allow these food banks to provide almost 5,000 meals to area families. The hundreds of pounds of food that were donated will go that much farther, giving people more than just nourishment; the donations give people the dignity and joy of cooking and sharing a meal with their loved ones.
In addition, over 45 faculty and staff members were recognized for their long-time service to the college, including one employee who has served over 40 years at Bay Path.
Bay Path students: are you involved with a local charity? Have you participated in a community service project with Bay Path College? We want to know about it! Share your stories - contact Cara Gardner at cgardner@baypath.edu.
