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The Brookline Emergency Food Pantry, housed at St. Paul’s Church, is a community-wide effort to address a community-wide problem. The pantry provides free food to Brookline low income families and individuals who need additional food that they cannot afford to buy. The pantry is open ten hours per week--Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10am to 2pm and Saturdays from 2pm to 4pm.

In 2010, we experienced a dramatic 25% increase in the number of visits to the pantry by both individuals and families. Over many years, the number of visits had gradually climbed to 2650 in 2009. In 2010 this jumped by an unprecedented 700 visits to 3350. In particular, there was a marked increase in families with children using the pantry. Thankfully, the amount of pantry donations continued to be robust and the number of volunteers increased so that these additional needs could be fully met.

Volunteers

The pantry is staffed entirely by volunteers---more than 40 this year. Many volunteers give two or more hours assisting our clients while the pantry is open while others help with food ordering, shopping, food pickup and various administrative tasks. There is a wonderful caring relationship to be seen between many of the volunteers and many of our customers.

This year we have been joined by many new volunteers who have been most welcome. At the same time there continues to be a core group of long term volunteers who have been with the pantry for at least two years and, in some cases, closer to ten years. Without these dedicated volunteers the pantry could not function and on behalf of our customers I thank them all.

Thanksgiving

An exciting community event at the pantry occurs annually on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. On that day we give away over 100 turkeys and all of the other ingredients for a full Thanksgiving meal. This year we served 120 households. Desert for this Thanksgiving dinner was particularly a community effort. Students at the Lawrence School prepared 75 apple pies, a church youth group prepared 30 pies and four pies were prepared by children in one family. Trader Joe’s donated a great many beautiful bouquets of flowers.

Food Donations and Other Food Sources

Once a week we make a trip to the Greater Boston Food Bank (GBFB) to get 40 to 50 cases of free food. Ben Norton regularly does this each week with students from the BU Student Food Rescue group who provide some young muscles and a van. The pantry also purchases food from a food wholesaler and from local supermarkets.

Students at all of the public elementary schools in Brookline and some private schools have food drives and bring food to the pantry on a regular basis. On back-to-school night at the high school, parents were asked to bring food for the pantry. This was collected by Brookline High students and two vanloads of food were delivered to the pantry.

Many communities of faith and organizations such as the Brookline Rotary Club and the Coolidge Corner Merchants Association make it a regular practice to support the pantry with food and/or funds.

The letter carriers food collection in the spring continues to be a very important source of donated food providing more than 75 bins this year. Each year over 30 volunteers devote a Saturday afternoon in mid-May to receiving and sorting the donations as the letter carriers bring in bin after bin.

Many families and individuals regularly donate food to the pantry during the year. Several families request that for their holiday open house, guests bring non-perishable food to be donated to the pantry.

Monetary Donations & Expenditures

Again, as in the last several years, the Brookline community responded very generously to the pantry’s end of year fund raising mailing. In addition, several communities of faith make annual donations to the pantry as do a number of Brookline businesses. Many Brookline residents also donate funds to the pantry throughout the year.

In June, Marge Amster at the Brookline Department of Economic Development and a group of Brookline restaurants created the third annual Food Festival in conjunction with the longstanding Brookline Arts Festival. All proceeds, over $5,000, were donated to the pantry.

As pantry use has increased, a very large increase in food purchases has been needed to supplement the free food from the Greater Boston Food Bank and the food donations from the Brookline community. The increased 700 pantry visits required total expenditures that were $30,000 more than in any past year.

2010 Food Pantry Receipts and Expenditures

 The 2010 difference between donations and expenditures was made up from pantry funds accumulated in past years when donations exceeded expenses.

Pantry donors of both food and funds continue to be most generous and we thank all on behalf of our Brookline neighbors who are our customers.

 Submitted by     Jim Margolis, Pantry Manager

The number of visits to the pantry by individuals and families in need of supplementary free food continues to increase—from under 1000 in ‘02 to over 2000 in ‘05 to almost 2700 during this past year. In particular, there has been a marked increase in families with children using the pantry.  Thankfully, pantry donations and volunteers have also increased so that these additional needs can be fully met.

Volunteers

The pantry is staffed entirely by volunteers---more than 40 this year.  Many volunteers give two or more hours assisting our clients while the pantry is open while others help with shopping, food pickup and administrative tasks.  There is a wonderful caring relationship to be seen between many of the volunteers and many of our customers.

This year we have been joined by a great many new volunteers who have been most welcome.  At the same time there continues to be a core group of long term volunteers who have been with the pantry for at least two years and, in some cases, closer to ten years.  Without these dedicated volunteers the pantry could not function and on behalf of our customers I thank them all.

Thanksgiving

An exciting event for the pantry occurs annually on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. On that day we give away over 100 turkeys and all of the other ingredients for a full Thanksgiving meal. This year we served 126 households--20 more than in any prior year.  As the desert for this meal we were able to give away 75 apple pies prepared by students at the Lawrence School (an annual service event for the school), 30 pies prepared by a church youth group, and six pies prepared by children in one family.

Renovation of Pantry Space

St. Paul’s did an extensive renovation this year which included the room used for the pantry.  As a result of the construction, the pantry moved to the Old Lincoln School in March and came back to St. Paul’s in August.  Walter Mucha deserves a very big thank you for moving the pantry both times.  We returned to new cabinets and tables and a much better lit and friendlier room from which to serve our customers.

In addition, the Rotary Club of Brookline donated $2,500 to the pantry to create a much more attractive and user friendly area for our trash and the great amount of cardboard that we need to recycle. We are most thankful to the club for this generous gift.

Food Donations and Other Food Sources

Once a week we make a trip to the Greater Boston Food Bank (GBFB) to get 30 to 40 cases of free food through the MEFAP program funded by the Commonwealth.  Ben Norton regularly does this with students from the BU Student Food Rescue group who provide some young muscles and a van.

Students at all of the public elementary schools in Brookline and some private schools have food drives and bring food to the pantry on a regular basis.  One of the delights for volunteers is to greet these groups of children, some first 1^st graders, and more often 7^th or 8^th graders, as they enthusiastically bring in many bags and boxes of food that their classes have collected and then help to sort the food into bins.  On back-to-school night at the high school, parents were asked to bring food for the pantry.  This was collected by students and two vanloads of food were delivered.

Many communities of faith and organizations such as the Brookline Rotary Club and the Coolidge Corner Merchants Association make it a regular practice to support the pantry with food and/or funds.

The letter carriers food collection in the spring continues to be a very important source of donated food providing more than 75 bins this year.  Each year over 30 volunteers devote a Saturday afternoon in mid-May to receiving and sorting the donations as the letter carriers bring in bin after bin.

Many families and individuals also donate food to the pantry.  Several families request that for their holiday open house, guests bring non-perishable food to be donated to the pantry.  Several groups and organizations are now doing this when they have meetings or gatherings.

Monetary Donations & Food Purchases

As pantry use has increased, an increase in food purchases has been needed to supplement food donations and to keep the freezer fully stocked.  Therefore, donations of money have become increasingly important.

In June, Marge Amster at the Brookline Department of Economic Development and a group of Brookline restaurants created the second annual Food Festival in conjunction with the longstanding Brookline Arts Festival.  All proceeds, over $7,000, were donated to the pantry.

Again, as in the last several years, the response to our November mailing to the Brookline community was responded to most generously.   In addition to the donated funds for the pantry shown below, $6,000 was donated through the pantry and marked to help fund the Brookline Safety Net which assists many pantry customers with other needs, especially those related to housing issues.

2009 Food Pantry Receipts and Expenditures

Donations Expenditures

From Individuals                        $39,500             Food Purchase     $33,200

From organizations                       9,100             Food Vouchers        3,000

       _______                  Operations          4,200

Total                 $48,600                                        $40,400

Pantry donors of both food and funds are most generous and I thank all on behalf of our Brookline neighbors who are our customers.

Submitted by     Jim Margolis

Pantry Manager

The number of visits to the Brookline Emeregency Food Pantry by individuals and families in need of supplementary free food continues to increase—from under 1,000 in 2002 to over 2,000 in 2005 to 2,700 plus during this past year.    Thankfully, our donations and volunteers have increased so that these additional needs can be met.

Volunteers

The pantry is staffed entirely by volunteers.  There have been more than 30 volunteers this year.  Many volunteers give two or more hours assisting our clients while the pantry is open while others help with shopping and administrative tasks.  There is a wonderful caring relationship to be seen between these volunteers and many of our customers.

This fall there has been an amazing outpouring of new volunteers who have been most welcome.  At the same time there continues to be a core of long term volunteers who have been with the pantry for at least two years and, in some cases, more than five years.  Without these dedicated volunteers the pantry could not function and on behalf of our customers I thank them all.

Donations

The Pantry receives two kinds of donations:  food & cash that is used to purchase food.  Students at all of the public elementary schools in Brookline and some private schools now collect and bring food to the pantry on a regular basis.  One of the delights for volunteers is to greet these groups of children, some first 1^st graders, and more often 7^th or 8^th graders, as they enthusiastically bring in many bags and boxes of food that their classes have collected and then help to sort the food into bins.  On back-to-school night at the high school, parents were asked to bring food for the pantry.  This was collected by students and two vanloads of food were delivered.

Many communities of faith in our town and organizations such as the Rotary Club and the Coolidge Corner Merchants Association make it a regular practice to support the pantry with food and/or funds.  The letter carriers food collection in the spring continues to be a very important source of food providing more than 75 bins each year.  A great many St. Paul’s parishioners and neighbors spend that Saturday afternoon in mid-May receiving and sorting the donations as the letter carriers bring in bin after bin.

Once a week we make a trip to the Greater Boston Food Bank (GBFB) to get 30 to 40 cases of free food through the MEFAP program funded by the Commonwealth.  Ben Norton, David Murray and/or I do this with a group of students from BU Student Food Rescue who provides a van.

Food Purchases

As pantry use has increased, an increase in food purchases has been needed to supplement donations and to keep the freezer fully stocked.  Therefore, donations of money have become increasingly important.  For the last three years our expenditures have averaged $34,000 per year.  For 2008 this has increased to $44,500.  While some of this increase reflects an increase in food prices, another reason for the increase is that our customers need to take greater amounts of food on their visits to the pantry.

Again, this year as in the last several years, the Brookline community has responded most generously to the needs of our less fortunate neighbors as the figures below demonstrate.

                                        2008 Receipts and Expenditures

Receipts                                                             Expenditures

From Individuals             $32,700                   Food Purchase     $38,000

From organizations           12,800                   Food Vouchers         5,900

   _______                  Operations                    600

Total    $45,500                                                 $44,500

Respectfully submitted by Jim Margolis, Pantry Manager

There are several good articles on the Brookline Food pantry:

   Coolidge Corner Community Profile - The Brookline Food Pantry

   How Does the Brookline Food Pantry Get its Food?

Does anyone know of more?