BOSTON — It’s become a December tradition at the Boston Public Health Commission to provide thousands of meals to needy Boston residents from its food pantry in Mattapan. But this year is made extra special by the renovation of the 1,800-square foot facility.
«We are very pleased to again host the annual holiday drive this year,» said Dr. Barbara Ferrer, the Commission’s executive director. «The renovation of the food pantry provides us with a larger, more state-of-the art facility from which to do this important work.»
This is the 18th year that the Commission’s Healthy Baby Healthy Child (HBHC) program has been providing food baskets at the annual Holiday Distribution Drive, which, this year, takes place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, December 19, at 201 River Street in Mattapan.
The food drive provides more than 15,000 meals to Boston residents. Baskets are stuffed with all of the holiday trimmings including ham, chicken, roasters, cranberry sauce, stuffing, pasta, and vegetables.
HBHC provides home visiting services to pregnant and parenting families with children under age five who reside in Boston. As part of those services, the program operates a food pantry three times a week, supplying each person with five meals every visit. With the economy still in recovery, the food pantry has seen the number of visitors grow, each with their own personal story of loss – job, home, and even the loss of a loved one.
«We hear so many stories of people that come to the food pantry not because they want to, but because the need is there,» said Shirley Shillingford, the HBHC food pantry coordinator. «It gives me a feeling of satisfaction at the end of the day knowing that I have helped someone who would otherwise not get help.»
The food baskets are made possible through donations from several local organizations, including the Hyde Park Cooperative Bank, Hyde Park Savings Bank, Project Bread, Sovereign Bank, and West Insurance. The pantry is staffed by HBHC program volunteers and even some former clients who have been helped by HBHC’s services.
«There are no words to describe how important the food pantry is to my family,» said volunteer Dorothy Varela of Hyde Park. «I’ve been going to the food pantry since I was pregnant with my oldest son – 16 years – and I lost my husband in 2005. They are very sweet people down at the food pantry and I just recently started to volunteer with my sons who help load up the turkeys.»
For more information on the Holiday Distribution Drive or HBHC, call 617-534-2032 or visit www.bphc.org/hbhc.
