Knights of Columbus Food Drive for The Open Door Continues

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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 and a volunteer with his wife Valerie observed, “Food insecurity is as present in the summer and fall as in the winter. Record high inflation and food prices are 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, 10,558 lbs of food have been collected for The Open Door. In the last eighteen months $1,800 has been donated to the area food pantry by Masconomo Council 1232.

OPEN DOOR HIGHLIGHTS:

  • In 2023 The Open Door distributed 1.45 million lbs of food to the Cape Ann community and served 5,935 individuals. Last year, 2023, 100 households were added per month.
  • Open Door’s Mobile Market served 3,289 individuals with 187,000 lbs of fresh fruit and vegetables. This equals 77,400 visits to the Mobile Market.
  •  The Open Door’s kitchen served 91,700 community meals. It produced 15,300 summer meals for kids and 6,500 meals that were delivered to residents of Cape Ann.
  • The Open Door would not function without the dedicated volunteers who provided 22,700 hours of their time in 2023.

NOTE: The Open Door Food Pantry experienced a 30 % increase in the amount of food distributed in the current year 2024 compared to the same period in 2023.

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. At a time when prices for food, housing, fuel, and utilities are uncomfortably high and rising, everyone is feeling the pinch. We are glad to help.”