Residents across the Pioneer Valley had an opportunity to make a difference while doing their usual Saturday grocery shopping. The Community Survival Center’s annual Stock Our Shelves Food Drive was on Saturday, August 11.
The survival center is a longtime Planet Aid bin host and they invited Planet Aid to bring a truck to collect clothes at the event.
Western Mass News spoke to Community Survival Center's executive director, Mary Cassidy, about the need for this annual event. Cassidy explained that the survival center’s food supply was depleted. The Community Survival Center receives donations from the community, but there is a great need, with recipients ranging from individuals to large families.
The food drive is crucial for the Community Survival Center, which has seen a significant increase in demand. Cassidy told, Western Mass News “ Over the last month we saw 34 new visitors to our pantry, people who had never used pantry services before, anywhere,” Cassidy noted.
This surge highlights the growing need for community support and the importance of events like the food drive.
Cassidy and her team of volunteers spent hours on Saturday distributing flyers and collecting donations. They were stationed outside of two Springfield Stop-and-Shops and Randall’s Farm in Ludlow, MA. The team worked tirelessly to encourage food donations and fill shopping carts with essential items.
Planet Aid joined the food drive in support of the effort. Similarly, Planet Aid collects clothes, shoes, and other textiles throughout the year, which helps people and the planet by funding domestic and global development projects.
In an interview with the news station, Planet Aid Territory Manager Amie Trombley highlighted the importance of reusing and recycling textiles. Trombley said, “The state of Massachusetts, last year, passed the textile ban on clothes, and shoes not being able to go into the landfill any longer, so we’re getting out here to beef up the recycling efforts for a lot of cities in the state of Massachusetts. We just want to keep this stuff out of the landfill.”
If you missed Saturday’s food drive—don't worry— donations are always welcome at the survival center on Main Street in Indian Orchard. In the Western Mass News interview, Cassidy encouraged ongoing aid, saying, “The community's continuous support is vital in ensuring that the center can keep providing for those in need.”
Here's a list of the organization's ongoing donation needs.