Volunteer with box of food for poor. Donation concept.
Masconomo Council 1232 Knights of Columbus Manchester-by-the-Sea issues a friendly reminder that the food drive it began in 2018 to benefit The Open Door Food Pantry of Gloucester and Ipswich continues and has intensified. The need for nutritious food is always present, but the need on Cape Ann is greater now than ever before.
Fred Johnson, the Council’s liaison to the Open Door Food Pantry observed, “Food insecurity is as present in the summer as in the winter. Record high inflation is straining food budgets and pointing families to The Open Door’s welcome.”
All are encouraged to leave food donations in the designated bins in the garage on Friend Street behind Sacred Heart Church, School Street Manchester-by-the-Sea.
Since the Knights’ food drive began in 2018, 7,331 lbs of food have been collected for The Open Door. In the COVID year 2021 to present, 6, 179 lbs and $200 cash have been donated to the area food pantry. In 2022 The Open Door served 4,872 households on Cape Ann. This year, 2023, 100 households were added per month.
Food items most needed by The Open Door are: Peanut Butter; Canned Tuna, Chicken, Turkey; Healthy Snack Items; Breakfast Cereal; 100% Juice / Juice Boxes; Hearty Soups; Canned Vegetables and Fruits; Spaghetti Sauce; Macaroni & Cheese; Rice; Noodles and Pasta; and Cake, Muffin, and Pancake Mix. [
Note: Please no glass items-jars, bottles, etc.]
Knights of Council 1232 transport the donated food to The Open Door Food Pantry weekly. They thank all donors for their generous contributions. This food drive is open-ended and on-going. It is a 24 / 7 effort.
Grand Knight Steve Kuhn said, “This a tangible way to extend a hand of friendship to our neighbors feeling the economic pinch. We are glad to help.”
