Food insecurity has been a growing problem among families in Massachusetts and beyond. To counter this, the Milford Democratic Town Committee and Indivisible Coalition are teaming up to host a food drive at the Draper Park on Saturday, September 13th from 11-1 PM, where visitors can donate food and other non-perishable items.
According to the food drive’s about page, visitors are strongly encouraged to donate new and unused non-perishable items. The top priorities include condiments/salad dressings in plastic bottles, personal hygiene products, and school supplies. Other non-priority items include baby supplies, laundry detergent, cereals, and other products listed on the about page.
Even if Milford residents are unable to attend the food drive, they can still donate items to the Daily Bread Food Pantry on Mondays from 4 to 6:45 PM, and Tuesdays & Thursdays from 8 AM to 10 AM, & 6 PM to 7:30 PM. The pantry is located at 21 Exchange Street in Milford.
Indivisible members Mark Pielocik and Cindi Scrimgeour have stressed the importance of participating in local food drives. A 2024 report from the Greater Boston Food Bank & Mass General Bridgham reported that 24 percent of Massachusetts households experience low food security, a percentage that has quadrupled since 2019.
“To put that into context, very low food security occurs when a person in a household has to skip meals, or skip meals for an entire day, due to the fact that they don’t have money for food” stated Pielocik. Scrimgeour added that “24 percent of households is 650,000 people in Massachusetts”.
The Indivisible Coalition is a progressive movement focused on making change through peaceful actions. Involved in the Central Massachusetts group for Indivisible, Pielocik & Scrimgeour hope that this week’s food drive can encourage people to support families struggling with food insecurity every day.
Interested volunteers or sponsorship partners for future food drives are recommended to call the Daily Bread Food Pantry at (508)-478-4225. Money donations can also be made online through the food pantry’s website.
