HARWICH – With the holiday season approaching, the Family Pantry of Cape Cod is preparing for two programs to help community members who are in need.
Executive Director Christine Menard said the pantry is planning their annual Thanksgiving Day and Toy Day programs.
The pantry will distribute about 600 turkey dinners to registered families for Thanksgiving.
Menard said the facility is hoping the community might donate turkeys and frozen pies for the program.
For Toy Day, the pantry serves about 600 children with a full bag of toys, hats, and mittens for the holiday season.
“We’re hoping that possibly people could buy an extra toy and bring that to us. The toy has to be new and it has to be unwrapped,” Menard said.
She added that the pantry needs donation for both programs by the first or second week of November.
Menard said the pantry is up about 45% in family visits each month.
She listed factors like the war in Ukraine, increased food costs, and the region’s expensive housing have all led to more people utilizing the pantry’s services.
“We’ve seen families come back in the last two or three months that we haven’t seen for years,” Menard said.
She added the seasonal nature of the regional economy also leads to more financial stress for people once the summer is over.
Menard said that there are no geographical restrictions for who is eligible to come to the pantry. She said that everyone is welcome and no documentation is required.
People need to be a current client of the pantry in order to participate in the programs.
Signups began on Tuesday, October 11 and will last until the 600 slots for each program are full. Menard said that the lists usually get full by mid-November.
The pantry is also looking for donations of winter clothes and especially winter coats.
Menard said that the pantry has a partnership with the Greater Boston Food Bank so it’s been able to keep up with demand.
She added that the pantry is always looking for volunteers.
Check out the Family Pantry’s website to learn more.
By Brian Engles, CapeCod.com NewsCenter
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