Family Pantry Fights Hunger On Cape

HARWICH – According to The Greater Boston Food Bank’s annual statewide study for 2024, one in three Massachusetts adults deal with food insecurity. And that statistic rises every year. 

On Cape Cod, families are met with cost-of-living increases, stagnant wages and few government benefits. 

"From our numbers, it's clear that hunger has permeated the middle class,” said Catherine D’Amato, president and CEO of the Greater Boston Food Bank. “The concept of hunger is no longer synonymous with poverty." 

The Family Pantry of Cape Cod was established in 1989 with two guiding principles: The resources are available to anyone who needs help, and generosity is always the first priority. 

In the last 10 years, the Pantry has made an effort to primarily stock nutritious food items. As a member of the Greater Boston Food Bank, the Pantry is able to rank items according to their nutritional value based on a color system of green, yellow and red. The goal of the Pantry is to have a majority of available groceries in the green category. 

The Family Pantry of Cape Cod distributes resources from a large warehouse off Queen Anne Road in Harwich and is the largest pantry on Cape Cod. With the size of the warehouse, staff are able to keep inventory stocked, even when prices rise, said Executive Director Christine Menard.  

In 2011, staff at the Pantry built a garden behind the warehouse to provide fresh vegetables and fruit. Thirty-five percent of foods distributed are fresh. 

The Pantry is also known as a choice pantry, meaning all clients are able to choose their groceries. Users fill out a shopping list based on the size of their family, which ensures families receive the food they want and need. Menard says she believes every pantry would like to be a choice pantry because it is much more respectful to their patrons. 

Families can choose food based on cultural values, religious beliefs or general preference; there are no restrictions. 

The Pantry is set to serve 15,000 unique individuals this year alone, distributing 165,000 bags of groceries. Food insecurity increases near the holidays and tends to bring more families to the Pantry’s doors. 

With generous donations from readers like you, the Pantry can serve the community on Cape Cod and keep families safe and fed this holiday season.