BECOME – An insulated food truck for the Loaves & Fishes pantry was included in the final version of the state’s 2022 fiscal budget, which Gov. Charlie Baker signed on July 16.
Loaves & Fishes will receive a credit of $ 50,000. The money will help the pantry buy an insulated box truck used to pick up groceries from the Greater Boston Food Bank. Before the coronavirus pandemic, the pantry relied on a local company to provide a truck and driver for the vans. While other companies joined in with a truck or driver after this support was lost, it was not always possible to have access to both.
With the need for a permanent solution under pantry control being clear, he enlisted the help of State Senator Jamie Eldridge.
“We were delighted to learn about state budget support for the purchase of an insulated box truck for Loaves & Fishes. This funding comes at a critical time as we struggle to find a reliable way to collect our orders from the Greater Boston Food Bank. We are more than grateful to Senator (Jamie) Eldridge (D-Acton) for his continued support of the Pantry and in particular for his advocacy for this project, ”said Patricia Stern, Executive Director of Loaves & Fishes, in a communicated.
Eldridge was confident that the ownership would pass, given the important role the pantry plays in the local community.
“Loaves & Fishes has served the most vulnerable members of our community for decades,” Eldridge said in a statement. “Especially during the pandemic, they intensified at a time when our community needed them most. I am happy to have secured a $ 50,000 assignment for an organization that has done so much for the residents of the area. These funds will allow Loaves & Fishes to expand their delivery capabilities and reach even more families in need.
State Representative Sheila Harrington, R-Groton, shared the excitement.
“I am delighted that Loaves and Fishes has secured this much needed funding. They support the surrounding communities so much and they deserve the financial support of the Commonwealth, ”said Harrington.
Loaves & Fishes is based in Devens and has served the Nashoba Valley since the 1980s. The volunteer run pantry serves residents of Ayer, Devens, Dunstable, Groton, Harvard, Littleton and Shirley.