PITTSFIELD — Andrew Morehouse can flood the area with statistics, but behind the numbers lies a harsh reality: The cost of living crisis is causing more and more people to go hungry.
“The prices of everything have gone up: food, housing — those are the main ones — and child care,” said Morehouse, executive director of the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts. “People are struggling to make ends meet, so they often skimp on food to cover those fixed costs.”
He spoke at an event that brought together more than 50 people working in food security. The evening, titled “Voices on Food Justice: Feeding Tomorrow’s Leaders,” included a panel discussion at Berkshire Community College.
This came at a time when the need for food assistance was “tremendous” and growing, Morehouse told the audience. The amount of food his organization distributed to partner organizations in Berkshire County from October through May was 33 percent higher than the same period last year.
“We still have more work to do to distribute more food to the people who need it,” he said.
Given the high level of need, it is the duty of those working in food assistance to make the assistance as accessible as possible, panelists said. One piece of that puzzle is breaking down the stigma associated with visiting one of the county’s food distribution sites or community meals.
To address this problem, many area organizations refrain from asking visitors intrusive questions, such as about their income or where they live, says Mary Feuer, director of WIC and Family Services at Community Health Programs.
“This really helps because it’s hard enough to go to a food bank or ask for help,” she said.
Because there are no income-based caps on access to certain foods at local food pantries, people whose income exceeds state guidelines for welfare can often still receive food, Morehouse said.
Panelists discussed a number of other topics, including how to engage children and youth in food systems and connect them with nutrition through cooking and farming, how to involve more restaurant owners in the fight against hunger, and how to provide culturally appropriate food to immigrants in the community.
As participants concluded their discussion, one encouraged her colleagues to think about how they can engage those they serve as partners.
Karen Pelto, a project specialist with the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission, told a story about how her father worked at a paper mill in Massachusetts when he was a child. One day, the workers went on strike and money was tight.
Her neighbors stepped in, offering food and vegetables in exchange for mowing her family’s land. It felt like a barter deal, a win-win situation for both sides; it was neighbors helping neighbors.
She asked the group to think about what they can learn from the people they serve, be it a recipe or another lesson they have learned over time.
“Experts on all sides are participating in this discussion,” she said.
