Due to the public health crisis, the amount of residents utilizing the Winthrop Community Food Pantry has doubled, but donations have been scarce. Vital food drives have been cancelled, and visits to the Boston Food Bank are limited, according to Laurisa Wojcik, Administrative Assistant to the Town Manager. The Food Pantry is in critical need of essential, non-perishable goods.
In hopes of maintaining the safety of at-risk Food Pantry volunteers, a group of Winthrop High School seniors (Cody Wojcik, Brian Houghton, Mike Harris, Cody Bell, and Matt Stoddard) have been volunteering every Wednesday after school since the beginning of November. The friends have been collecting and sorting food, restocking shelves, and asking local businesses for monetary donations.
On November 18, the friends presented the Food Pantry with an over $5,000 check, raised from the generosity of Corolla Roofing, Lighthouse Construction, Winthrop Center Café, Seacoast Construction, Inc., Print Boston, A & K Waste, Special F/X, Mutual Beef, Robert Paul Properties, Richard Ferrino & Family, Senator Joe Boncore, Kerry Spindler, Spine Center North Shore PLLC, Milano’s Deli, Chesnut Hill Wealth Management Group, Council President Phil Boncore, Boston Commercial Lending, the Wojcik Family, MSA Mortgage, Christopher’s Flowers, and Richard Graham.
Now, the Food Pantry has gathered enough food to last through the end of December.
Members of the community who have also donated to the Food Pantry during this town-wide effort include: the Winthrop Middle School Student Council, the Winthrop Police Department, the Winthrop Fire Department 1070, the Winthrop Marketplace, and Twist and Shake.
Please call the Winthrop Community Food Pantry, located at 222 Bowdoin Street, at (617) 846-6884, or the St. John’s Episcopal Church parish office at (617) 846-2363, to schedule a time to deliver donations.