Waltham food pantry may be forced to find new location at critical time
WALTHAM - A Waltham food pantry may be without a home unless the city steps up in the next few months.
Healthy Waltham serves 750 families currently, and more than 1,000 during the pandemic. They have been home hopping the past few years. The pantry now resides in the gym of the vacant Fitch School. They have an agreement with the city to stay there, however that ends March 31.
"The deadline is ticking, clock is ticking, and people can't go hungry," says Myriam Michel, Executive Director at Healthy Waltham, "We are serving fresh produce. Anything from milk, eggs, dairy, meat. We are serving families, seniors, veterans, different sets of people. Over the period of the pandemic, we have served over 3.8 million families with a total food value of over $7 million."
So far, the city is not letting them stay past that date. The non-profit is searching for commercial land but finding out that no one wants a food pantry in their neighborhood.
"We are the bridge that provides food on people's tables," says Michel.
Waltham City Councilor Colleen Bradley-MacArthur is calling on her fellow councilors to step up. She says the city needs to do a better job managing their properties and helping area non-profits.
"I can't imagine there isn't a space to operate safely and efficiently in the city, and as leaders we should be encouraging the business community to support non-profits," said Bradley-MacArthur. "It's not just in one part of the city, it's throughout the city, and as leaders in the city it is our obligation to the people we serve to make sure they don't go hungry."
On March 2, emergency SNAP benefits will end. This comes just a few weeks before Healthy Waltham's deadline. The pantry expects even more people to show up during those weeks.
"We have been on calls with the Greater Boston Food Bank saying be prepared," said Michel.
Councilor Paul Katz says the city is doing more to assist Healthy Waltham than the public is aware of. We reached out to Mayor Jeannette McCarthy for more details, but she was not available.