March 18, 2024

Doorways Food Pantry Feeling the Squeeze

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Doorways Food Pantry has been operating in high gear in recent weeks. Social distancing has necessitated a shift to curbside “pop your trunk” food distribution, but the food pantry has continued to distribute thousands of dollars of groceries to Seekonk households in need of food support.

The economic upheaval brought on by the Covid-19 shutdown has created a massive increase in demand at food pantries statewide, which in turn has caused the Greater Boston Food Bank (GBFB) to place severe restrictions on the amount of food that Doorways can purchase on a monthly basis. “Our distribution model is based on buying from the GBFB at greatly reduced prices. Under normal circumstances, we typically receive between 8,000-10,000 pounds of food per month from the Boston Food Bank” said Doug Hayward, chairman of Doorways. “But in May, the Boston Food Bank cut our allowable purchases in half; we had to reduce our food distribution from every week to every two weeks.”

“But then in June, we received word that the Boston Food Bank is cutting our allowable purchases AGAIN – we’ll be reduced to purchasing 2,500 pounds of food per month! That’s a 75% decrease since April – I don’t know how we can continue to supply over 60 local households with ample quantities of nourishing food when we face these kind of restrictions” said Hayward. “We’ve been purchasing much more food at retail, and we’ve been trying to keep our clients going by distributing Stop & Shop prepaid cards on the ‘off’ weeks– but we are burning through funds at an alarming rate. Frankly, I’m worried.”

Hayward reports that response from the townspeople has been very encouraging. “We have received very generous contributions from individuals, churches, civic organizations and local business people. Their donations have covered much of the additional expenses thus far – but I hope the donations will continue to come in, because it looks like we will have increased costs for quite some time to come.”

If you have never donated to Doorways, we respectfully ask that you please consider doing so. If you have previously donated, thank you. We would ask, humbly, that you consider another contribution (many have already done so). If you are in need of our services, we welcome you. We know how uncertain these times are and we truly are ‘Our Brother’s Keeper’.

Donations to Doorways can be sent to PO Box 295, Seekonk, MA 02771. As always, thank you for your support.




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