NEWBURY — With the increasing cost of groceries, the upcoming holiday season, and the uncertain future of SNAP benefits, the Newbury Police Department is partnering with the First Parish Food Pantry of Newbury to make the police station an official 24-hour drop-off location.
The First Parish Newbury Food Pantry is the largest all-volunteer food pantry in the greater Newburyport area serving the communities of Newbury, Newburyport, Byfield, West Newbury, Salisbury, Rowley, Ipswich and Georgetown. The Pantry fills orders for over 800 people each week and stocks nine local school pantry programs.
About 35% of the Pantry’s inventory is donated. Donations are accepted at the Pantry every Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. or by appointment.
Police Chief Patricia Fisher, who has partnered with the Pantry in the past by supporting donation drives and community outreach initiatives, recognized that with the risk of food insecurity increasing, a 24-hour donation site may encourage more residents to donate.
“Many people see Newbury and its villages as an affluent community, and it certainly has its aspects; however, emergency responders see firsthand that it’s not everyone,” said Chief Fisher. “We see the children, older adults, people with disabilities, low-income working families, veterans and domestic violence victims, struggling to remain living in this expensive area. We see people who are financially struggling move into rentals on Plum Island in the winter months. First responders speak with people who share stories of not having the financial resources to relocate to somewhere more cost-effective, and that such moves would isolate them from their local support systems.”
The Police Station, at 7 Morgan Ave., will have a donation box in the lobby for residents to make donations at any time. Suggested items for donation include local grocery store gift cards, toilet paper and paper towels, ground or instant coffee, incontinence and feminine hygiene products, sugar and flour, gluten free products, hearty ready-to-eat soups, canned pasta with meat, and bread, muffin and cake mixes.
An officer will deliver donations collected at the Police Department each Thursday, when volunteers are at the Pantry.
“With the approaching holiday season and the fear of restricted, suspended or eliminated SNAP benefits, it’s more important now than ever to support our neighbors, no matter how slight,” said Chief Fisher. ” As the proverb says, ‘Little by little, a little becomes a lot,’ we’re simply offering the community a vehicle to give a little, so the Food Pantry can give a lot.”
The First Parish Newbury Food Pantry is a 100% volunteer organization that relies on the generosity of community. To volunteer, call 978-358-1077 or email info@newburyfoodpantry.org. Those interested in providing financial donations can mail donations to First Parish Newbury Food Pantry, 20 High Road, Newbury, MA, 01951, or donate online using PayPal or credit card here.
“With so many in the community preparing to lose SNAP benefits or struggling without a paycheck due to the shutdown, community donations of food and volunteer time matter more than ever,” said First Parish Newbury Food Pantry co-founder Jane Merrow. “We are grateful the Newbury Police Department has offered to be a 24/7 donation site.”
In addition to partnering with the Newbury Food Pantry, the Newbury Police Department has resources to assist people who are in need of child safety seats.
“No one should go without food or the ability to keep their children safe while in a motor vehicle,” said Sgt. Jason DaCunha, Newbury PD’s certified National Child Passenger Safety Seat Technician.
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