Summer Of Giving: Chronicle Launches Annual Campaign For Family Pantry Of Cape Cod

In the days leading up to the Fourth of July, there are plenty of sights to behold on Cape Cod: blooming hydrangeas, waving flags and colorful beach umbrellas. What most don’t see is evidence of hunger and poverty on the Lower Cape, a place where wages remain low and the cost of living is sky-high. It’s also hard to see the insecurity that many local families are feeling nowadays, when important social safety net programs are under threat.

On a recent Saturday, the lobby at the Family Pantry of Cape Cod was filled with people waiting to receive bags of nutritious groceries. They came from all over the Cape; some were young working people and others looked like retirees. A few were single, but many had babies or young children in tow. A young man carefully filled out his shopping list while his daughter, who looked about 6 years old, danced joyfully next to him. She was wearing a princess costume. 

Every client at the Family Pantry has a story. Some work multiple jobs, sometimes sharing housing with family members or co-workers. Others are older people who are used to living on fixed incomes and who know how to make a few bags of groceries stretch for 10 days until they’re able to visit again. In ever-greater numbers, people are turning to the Family Pantry to put food on the table.

But not all clients come as frequently as they’re allowed to, Executive Director Paul Lonergan said.

 “Some people? It's three weeks because they're working three jobs. They're a waitress. They're mowing lawns. They're working at a hotel, and they're very hard-working folks. And when those jobs go away and that job availability shrinks, that need comes back, as do the clients,” he said. Currently, the Family Pantry sees around 800 clients every week. “That’s 800 different stories, and every one of them wants to do better. And we want to help every one of them.”

This week, The Cape Cod Chronicle once again launches our Summertime Helping Neighbors campaign — the companion to our annual holiday drive, designed to give summer visitors and seasonal residents a chance to contribute. From now through Labor Day we’ll be sharing stories about the Family Pantry, the need it fills and the volunteers who carry out its mission. We’ll also be publishing a running list of donors. This year’s fundraising goal is $104,000, and thanks to generous donors, a dollar-for-dollar matching grant is in place for every gift up to that amount.

“Year-rounders have something important in common with summer visitors,” Cape Cod Chronicle Publisher Henry C. Hyora said. “We all cherish this place and the lifestyle it offers. And we all know that it’s a tough place for working families to survive.” 

The problem of hunger on the Lower Cape is inextricably linked to other challenges that locals face: transportation, medical care, and above all, housing. By helping reduce a family’s grocery bill, the Family Pantry frees up money to pay other bills. The pantry also provides clients with a boutique where they can select from a variety of used clothing, further stretching their family budget.

Because of its purchasing power with the Greater Boston Food Bank, the Family Pantry of Cape Cod can purchase four nutritious meals with every donated dollar. That means that even a modest donation of $10 can make a big impact, particularly when the contribution is matched. 

In the weeks ahead, we’ll dive into the numbers behind the Pantry’s operation and find out more about their innovative programs like a mobile pantry, a branch at the local community college, a thriving garden that provides fresh produce, and the amazing Second Glance thrift store that raises important revenue to help the organization buy food. We’ll also learn about what it’s like to volunteer, even if you’ve never volunteered before.

This year’s Summertime Helping Neighbors is the ninth annual summer fundraiser. Since it was started in 2017, summer residents and visitors have contributed more than $700,000 to the Family Pantry through the campaign. Add that to the proceeds of the holiday Helping Neighbors drives that began in 2004, and the impact of Chronicle readers tops $2 million.

 “That kind of generosity is far beyond the means of a single small business like The Chronicle. But without fail, every time we ask our readers to pitch in, they deliver,” Hyora said. “As a hometown newspaper, we’re humbled to be able to facilitate that kind of generosity.”

To contribute to The Chronicle's Summertime Helping Neighbors campaign, click here. You can also mail a tax-deductible contribution to The Family Pantry, 133 Queen Anne Rd., Harwich, MA 02645, or call 508-432-6519 to donate by credit card.