HOLYOKE — For the last two months, Brenda Lamagdeleine, manager at Margaret’s Pantry, and her team have worked 16-hour days with the goal of fulfilling an uptick in requests for food, toys and winter gear before Christmas Day.
“I think every kid should believe in Santa, it’s the magic of Christmas,” Lamagdeleine said. The pantry, which is part of Providence Ministries, is working to create that holiday magic.
The seven-person team is still completing requests trying to make sure families in need in Western Massachusetts have gifts under their trees and food on their tables.
The pantry — like other food assistance nonprofits in the area like the Salvation Army Holyoke Corps and Open Pantry Community Services in Springfield and the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts — has seen a greater demand for its services.
According to Lamagdeleine, there has been a 40% increase in the number of people in the pantry’s intake program compared to last year.
“The need is greater now than in the pandemic,” Lamagdeleine said. “It has hit the middle-class community hard. It is especially hard for those who have never had to use community resources. Sometimes they have a hard time asking for help with food, gifts and other things. It is heartbreaking.”
Inflation — especially at the grocery store — has driven much of the increase in the need for assistance. Furthermore, the state has seen an increase of migrants.
“The economy is horrific. If you have a family, it is even harder. A single bag of groceries could cost $100. If people do not go to different places to price shop, it can be difficult,” she said.
At Margaret’s Pantry, people can receive fruit, produce, meats and dairy products. Altogether people can leave with over 75 pounds of food, she said.
Additionally, during the holiday season, Lamagdeleine and volunteers took requests in October, matched families with donors and organized and coordinated gift donations to families in need. Each child will receive two or three gifts depending on availability, she said.
“We are giving back to people who give us donations all year around, this is to say, we are not an organization that just takes, we also give,” Lamagdeleine said.
As for how many children her organization served this year, Lamagdeleine said she stopped counting after 800.
Brenda Lamagdeleine, pantry manager at Margaret’s Pantry in Holyoke, hands out holiday gifts to families at the Pantry. (Don Treeger / The Republican) 12/22/2023The Republican
Michelle Geoffroy, agency relations manager at the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, said it is an important time of year for the agencies that partner with the food bank.
While Geoffroy said it is unclear how many people will be served this Christmas, agencies have reported an uptick in the amount of those served.
“Around this time, people are also looking for warm weather gear and gifts and a lot of our partnering agencies provide those things as well,” Geoffroy said.
Nicole Lussier, the agency director at the Open Pantry in Springfield, said grocery store expenses may be to blame for the increase in participation across its programming.
Lussier said the organization’s programs like its pantry, its shut-in delivery service — which has to date made 478 deliveries — and the community lunch and dinner offerings all have seen an increase in those served.
Lieutenant Cesar Esquivel runs the Holyoke Salvation Army on Appleton Street. (Don Treeger / The Republican) 12/21/2023The Republican
Lt. Cesar Esquivel at the Salvation Army Holyoke Corps said there has been an increase of people experiencing homelessness in the communities it serves.
“During the holiday season. Families and people go away, businesses and organizations close and people slow down giving,” Esquivel said.
Each Thursday at 2 p.m., the Holyoke Corps opens its doors to families in Holyoke, South Hadley, Chicopee and parts of Granby for home-cooked meals.
About half of those that come into the Salvation Army Holyoke Corps for assistance are unhoused, he said.
The Salvation Army also serves older adults through a partnership with WestMass ElderCare.
Through a grant, the Salvation Army helps retired people who can’t make ends meet by providing them with hot meals, he said.
The Salvation Army also provides a holiday pantry that includes juice, cereals, grains, canned and dry food and warm meals throughout the week.
Arroz con gandules and pollo guisado are on the menu daily and not just during the Christmas season, Esquivel said.
“Throughout the whole year, our cooks serve delicious Puerto Rican food,” Esquivel said. “We strive to serve people with cultural food items as much as we can.”
Our partner The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts is good with providing cultural items like Halal chicken, Esquivel said.
Despite not always having culturally relevant items, Esquivel said, it is not an issue “because when people are hungry, they eat.”
“They are just usually grateful to have a hot meal and that we are opening our doors to them,” Esquivel said.
During the Christmas season, the Salvation Army also provides gifts to families. This year the Salvation Army Holyoke Corps donated about 5,000 gifts to children ages 2-16 in more than 500 families, he said.
“Families are still coming in and as long as we have supplies available, we will continue to give them out,” Esquivel said.
Christmas Dinners
- Kate’s Kitchen, 51 Hamilton St. in Holyoke, will host a sit-down meal and a Christmas program from noon to 1 p.m.
- Manna’s Community Kitchen will host an in-person, sit-down meal on Christmas Day at Edwards Church of Northampton, 297 Main St. Northampton from noon to 2 p.m.
- CHD’s Not Bread Alone in Amherst will also host a Christmas dinner at 4 p.m. Homemade meals are served on the lower level of the First Congregational Church of Amherst.
- Open Pantry will host its annual Christmas meal at the High School of Commerce at 139 State St., starting at 11 a.m. with music and appetizers.
