Pictured with one of the two new refrigerators, from left to right is Judy Gifford and Judy DePue, both from Murray Food Pantry, Jim Jones, Rotary secretary, Amanda Adams, Rotary president, Tom Kelly, Rotary bulletin editor, and Barbara Clark from Murray Food Pantry.
Attleboro Rotary support expands refrigeration capacity
The Murray Unitarian Universalist Church Food Pantry, long reliant on a second-hand refrigerator, faced challenges in storing fresh produce, often leading to spoilage between bi-weekly deliveries from the Greater Boston Food Bank. This issue has now been resolved, thanks to a generous grant from the Attleboro Rotary.
Attending regular meetings of the Greater Attleboro Food Access Collaborative (GR-FAC), which supports local food insecurity programs, the Murray Church Food Pantry team learned about potential grant opportunities for refrigeration. Scott Jones, a regular attendee and member of the Attleboro Rotary, informed them that the Rotary offers grants for such needs.
Seizing this opportunity, the Murray Church Food Pantry team applied for funding to purchase two new freezer-less refrigerators. In March 2024, their request was met with a $2,397 grant from the Attleboro Rotary. This followed an unsolicited donation of $3,000 from the Rotary in January 2024, which was used to purchase food supplies from the Greater Boston Food Bank and other sources.
In 2023, the Murray Church Food Pantry distributed over 24 tons of food and hygiene supplies to 2,643 shoppers, averaging 220 families per month. The new refrigerators, bought from local business Lambco Appliance, are now operational and dedicated to the pantry’s distribution days (Mondays and Thursdays, 9:30-11:30 am), ensuring fresh produce is available to shoppers.
On May 15, members of the Attleboro Rotary joined the Murray Church Food Pantry team to celebrate this significant addition.
The enhanced refrigeration capacity marks a significant improvement in the pantry’s ability to serve the community’s most vulnerable, ensuring fresh and nutritious food is available for all who need it.