With the clock running down on The Chronicle's annual “Helping Neighbors” campaign for the Family Pantry of Cape Cod, donations were continuing to arrive, and a generous matching grant is now in effect. Thanks to an anonymous family of Chatham summer residents, donations postmarked now through New Year's Eve will be matched, dollar for dollar, up to $10,000. As of Dec. 22, however, a gap of more than $17,00...

In the final days of The Chronicle's “Helping Neighbors” campaign to benefit the Family Pantry, donations were surging in from groups, individuals and businesses. But several days before Christmas, it appeared the campaign would fall short of its $60,000 goal. “What we need here is a little holiday magic,” Chronicle Publisher Henry C. Hyora said Monday. “We're extending the campaign through New Year's Eve to g...

Volunteers at the Family Pantry of Cape Cod have no trouble explaining why clients are treated with such respect. For some volunteers, humility is a matter of faith. For others, it's easy to empathize with people who've had a financial crisis or other emergency. And for Family Pantry worker Lisa Joyce, it's because she's walked in those shoes before. Joyce and her husband owned a construction company for many ...

First, consider a few numbers. A decade ago, the Family Pantry of Cape Cod had an average of 621 client visits each month, distributing about 20,000 bags of food in the course of a year. Last year, it handed out more than 55,000 bags of food, seeing an average of 1,149 clients every month. Consider just one more figure. As of the end of October, the Family Pantry had seen a jump of more than 13 percent in t...

HARWICH — When it comes to volunteer management, the Family Pantry has a simple strategy for each of the more than 500 people who lend their time and talent. “They need to feel better when they leave than when they came here,” Executive Director Christine Menard said. Thanks to thoughtful organization, clear direction and good management, volunteers keep coming back. “That's why we're as good as we are,” sh...

For most people on the Cape, summertime is the busy season. But each winter, thousands of Cape residents seek help from The Family Pantry of Cape Cod. That’s the time when families often have the toughest time making ends meet. And the extra expenses of the holiday season only make things worse. To help meet the holiday and year-round needs of this often overlooked population, the Cape Cod Chronicle is lending...

ORLEANS — The announcement over the PA system at Stop and Shop Saturday was about a decidedly different sale. Turkeys were available at a special price, and customers were urged to load the birds into their cars and drive them over to The Farm, on Rock Harbor Road. That's where Sassy Richardson-Roche and her family and neighbors were waiting by a freezer truck to receive the donations to the Lower Cape Outre...

NORTH HARWICH — Each year, more people visit the Family Pantry's headquarters for help with food, clothing and other necessities. Thanks to generous supporters and a partnership with the Chatham Council on Aging, the Pantry will be taking their work to the streets next month. With donations from the Simon Foundation, the Greater Boston Food Bank and TD Bank, the Pantry has purchased a second-hand refrigerate...