PUTNEY — September is Hunger Action Month, and this year, with the ongoing pandemic, the importance of raising awareness and taking action against hunger in our community remains high.
The Putney Foodshelf says it will be running a month-long food drive to do just that.
Throughout September, during the Fill the Foodshelf drive, shoppers at the Putney Food Co-op and Putney General Store will have an opportunity to select cases of specific grocery items from an order form to add to their bill at checkout.
The food items will then be delivered to the Foodshelf and distributed to people in need.
“The food items at the stores have been chosen based on their nutritional value and their being popular staple foods,” Putney Foodshelf Executive Director Hannah Pick said in a news release. “This model allows us to get exactly the foods we need the most.”
A significant increase in need
A recent study from the University of Vermont states that one in five Vermonters continues to be food insecure.
To address that need, more than 40 volunteers and a part-time executive director support the Foodshelf's mission and programs.
In addition to residents here, people from many of the surrounding communities - including Brattleboro, Dummerston, and Westminster - receive weekly support from the Foodshelf, and no one in need is turned away.
Throughout the pandemic, the Putney Foodshelf says it has seen a significant increase in need and, with much adaptation and without interruption, has been serving families each week through drive-up open hours, home deliveries, and the Food4Kids program.
“At the height of the pandemic, we were serving 95 households a week through our drive-up open hours and home deliveries, more than double our pre-pandemic numbers,” said Nancy Olson, chair of the Putney Foodshelf board of directors.
Olson said that this summer, the agency is serving about 55 households a week.
Since 2012, the Putney Foodshelf has been providing supplemental healthy food. In 2020, a total of 3,700 households representing 7,600 people were served through the Foodshelf's open hours.
During the school year, the Foodshelf's Food4Kids program served 123 students each week, and is serving 25 students weekly during the summer. The monthly Food Drop at Putney Meadows serves 60 households.
During the holidays, 125 Harvest Bags and 150 Everyone Eats! meals were distributed.