Mobile Food Bank distribution, Adams

After taking a one-week hiatus to implement increased safety practices during the COVID-19 public health crisis, The Food Bank resumed operation of our Mobile Food Bank last week. At a distribution that regularly takes place at the Council on Aging in Adams, 30 volunteers were on hand to make sure that guests stood seven feet apart from one another to help mitigate risk of COVID infection in the distribution line. Following guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (Mass. DPH), volunteers also pre-packed grocery bags with free, emergency food that they handed out to one guest at a time.

“[W]e had health care providers and banks donate the bags,” said Erica Girgenti, Director of the Council on Aging in Adams. “It really does warm your heart to see a community come together.”

Employees from local and state municipal offices as well as individuals from the community stepped forward to assist with the food distribution, Girgenti stated. In total, they provided free groceries to more than 260 households in the Adams area.

“Our drivers told me that they were extremely impressed by Council on Aging staff and volunteers,” said Cheo Ramos, Food Distribution Supervisor at The Food Bank.

“Erica Girgenti and Barbara Proper of the Council on Aging really made sure that this distribution ran as safely as possible,” he continued. “We can’t thank them enough. Getting food out to the community is really important right now.”

“A Big thank you to the Food Bank of Western Mass for putting in breakneck hours to get us a distribution!” Girgenti added.