March 29, 2024

Seekonk Athletes Win Big in Food Drive for Doorways

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We at Doorways Food Pantry would like to extend a heartfelt "thank you" to the SHS Boys' Soccer Team and SHS Athletic Boosters who organized a food drive in response to our plea for support in this time of increased demand. The food drive was an enormous success, filling five SUVs to the roof and raised thousands of pounds of food and over a thousand dollars in donations. We also want to thank all those who contributed to the food drive - we continue to be amazed by the generosity of the Seekonk community. (By the way, the Boys’ Soccer team is holding a fundraising car wash on August 8th at the Knights of Columbus Hall on Arcade Ave– stop by and congratulate them on a job well done.)

Doorways continues to be challenged by the pandemic. In response to the reduced purchasing allowed by the Greater Boston Food Bank, we have been forced to cut our food distributions to twice a month rather than weekly. (Each food distribution involves thousands of pounds of food given in support of roughly sixty local households; there is never a cost or charge to our clients.) On the weeks where we do not distribute food, Doorways has been distributing prepaid grocery cards to assist our clients. “It’s a pretty expensive option” says David Francis of Doorways, “but hunger does not skip a week.”

The pandemic has also affected how Doorways operates. “We used to have about eighty volunteers on a rotating basis” said Dave Francis. “Now we have only about two dozen people still actively engaged. It takes over a hundred volunteer hours of preparation for one curbside food distribution, and less than two hours to give away the food.” Francis estimates that it takes between two hundred and fifty to three hundred volunteer hours each month to keep the food pantry running – “It’s a bigger proposition than you’d think.”

Doorways appreciates the many people who have already donated food or funds to help in this stressful time, and we hope others will follow their example as the crisis continues. Food donations can be dropped off to Doorways on Saturdays between 8:00 and 10:00 at the North School (2 North Street) in Seekonk. Donations to Doorways can be sent to PO Box 295, Seekonk, MA 02771. As always, thank you for your support.

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