Food & Beverage
Mobile soup pantry hits the road to feed needy in Massachusetts
October 29, 2021
Lorraine's Soup Kitchen & Pantry is going on the road to feed the needy in Massachusetts thanks to a charitable donation from Theory Wellness.
The Chicopee-based pantry aims to hit 16 spots across the city, aiming to serve 150 to 200 residents at each stop, according to a press release.
The effort will kick off on Nov. 4. The mobile pantry will be at each location for two hours. The program was initiated as a way to reach those who have limited access to the group's physical space on Pendexter Avenue. It is being supported by a donation from Theory Wellness, which runs a medical and recreational cannabis dispensary and serves the Western Massachusetts area.
"The holiday season is a time of need and heightened food insecurity. We wanted to make sure that Lorraine's could respond to those in need and a mobile food pantry is the perfect solution to fill a needed gap in their community-based programming," Thomas Winstanley, vice president of marketing at Theory Wellness, said in the release.
Lorraine's served its first meal of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to just 13 people in the late 1980s. In addition to meal and food pantry services, Lorraine's also offers Christmas meals, Pop-Up Pantries, free monthly health clinics and social services regularly, and accepts donations Monday through Friday.
