I attended the Loaves & Fishes Annual Meeting this week and continue to be in awe of their good work.
As a former board member, I am well aware of their 40-plus years history of serving Harvard and the other six towns in our area. I knew they spent their money well with 86 cents of every dollar donated going directly to services. I also knew that many volunteered their time, with 455 generous neighbours volunteering last year. What I had lost sight of is the increase in demand.
Over the last four years, Loaves & Fishes has doubled the number of families and people they serve—this past year they distributed over 1 million pounds of food to over 1,000 families and 3,000 individuals. Approximately 1,000 of these recipients are children. As one mother noted: “I work part time, my husband works full time, we get WIC for the babies but still don’t have enough food. We use the pantry because we are not quite making it.”
It may not seem like our community has this kind of need. It can go under the radar. Two-thirds of the people getting food from the pantry earn less than $25,000. As a town we give a lot of food and personal care items through our churches, food drives, and drop-off options. However, monetary donations are not keeping up with the demand.
Hoping all of us can give just a little bit more during these very challenging times. Even a few dollars from each of us will help. You can donate at loavesfishespan try.org Thanks for caring.
Hugh Silk
Oak Hill Road
