Food Services Continue to Adjust; Fundraiser Set for Williamstown Pantry

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Al Nelson Friendship Center Food Pantry will continue to operate during the COVID-19 emergency, officials announced Thursday, a day after changing its pickup procedures for the first time as a result of the pandemic.

"We as a group are committed, in the time-honored fashion of North Adams and Northern Berkshire pulling together, to do our part to take care of each other," Mark Rondeau, co-founder and board president, said in a statement. "We have hope that after this crisis much better days are coming. Stay tuned."

The next pickup is Wednesday, March 25, from the center's 45 Eagle Street location. Social distancing procedures will be followed strictly. Updates will be posted to the group's website and Facebook page. 

In addition, the Berkshire Food Project — which typically serves lunch every day from the First Congregational Church on Main Street — is altering its procedures and will serve pre-packed meals on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Staff is prepping meals and packaging them for distribution, two meals at a time since they will not be there on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Friday's meal will consist of pasta with roasted vegetables, mac and cheese with a side of mixed vegetables, and ham on the side.

No seating will be allowed inside the church.

"The meals will be handed out at the breezeway entrance," the group's Facebook post reads. "Please do not go to the kitchen door — the meals at the breezeway will be accessible without stairs."

Updates will be posted on the organization's Facebook page.

"We have a conference call of board members and staff on Sunday afternoon to assess next week," Executive Director Kim McMann said Thursday. "We are taking it week by week. … Everything is changing so much so quickly."

And in an effort to bolster the stock of necessities available at the Williamstown Food Pantry, a "Drive for Change" will take place in a drive-through lane at the Williamstown Youth Center, 66 School St., on Saturday, Sunday and Monday, March 21-23, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Drivers will deposit their loose change (ideally, without getting out of their vehicles) into five-gallon collection buckets and circle back out of the parking lot.

All of funds raised will be distributed as donations of food and emergency supplies by the Williamstown Food Pantry to those most in need. Precautions are being taken to maintain social distancing.

People can also drop off donations anytime to the shelves in the front foyer of the Sts. Patrick and Raphael Parish Center.

The food pantry in Adams remains closed. The Mobile Food Bank operated by Food Bank of Western Massachusetts suspended its schedule but hopes to resume on Monday, March 23. 

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