Injured father finds support at Newbury, Massachusetts, food pantry
NEWBURY, Mass. —
The Greater Boston Food Bank provides essential food supplies to local pantries, including the First Parish Newbury Food Pantry, which has become a lifeline for Raymond Florent and his family after he was injured and unable to work.
“I got hurt back in February. I’m actually out of work right now, so it’s just, we can’t afford a lot of things that we need,” Florent said.
Florent, a husband and father of two young sons, shared that his family does not qualify for SNAP benefits despite his unemployment. “We made too much money for SNAP benefits, even with me out of work, so I went online, and I ended up finding Newbury Food Pantry, and it was, you know, great that we found it. They’ve been so helpful,” he said.
The First Parish Newbury Food Pantry was co-founded by Jane Merrow in 2015 and now operates out of a metal building on the grounds of the First Parish Church of Newbury.
“The average we now serve is about between 300 and 340 households each week,” Merrow said.
Merrow described her work at the pantry as deeply fulfilling. “It’s wonderful. It’s my life now. I live this, and I am blessed to have so many volunteers to work with me. No one here gets paid. We’re 100% volunteer,” she said.
To meet the community’s needs, the pantry relies heavily on the Greater Boston Food Bank and its donors.
“Probably 55 to 65% of everything that we give out is coming from Greater Boston Food Bank. We couldn’t do what we do without them. They’re incredibly generous, and it’s just wonderful to work with them,” Merrow said.
How to Donate to Greater Boston Food Bank
WCVB-TV viewers are encouraged to support the Greater Boston Food Bank by visiting wcvb.com/GBFB. Every contribution, large or small, will help The Greater Boston Food Bank provide nutritious food and vital resources to individuals and families across Eastern Massachusetts.
