As food prices surge and federal benefits appear in jeopardy during the government shutdown, volunteers around Marblehead are working nearly every day with food rescue programs to ensure that no groceries or meals go to waste.
On Oct. 28, Mimi Hollister and Richard Thibedeau picked up 100 pounds of produce and bread — past their prime but still healthy and nutritious — from Crosby’s Marketplace in Marblehead and delivered it to Lifebridge in Salem.
Hollister and Thibedeau are members of Old North Church. Volunteers from ONC bring food from Crosby’s to Lifebridge Monday through Friday, and they’ve been doing it for the last 11 years. The total amounts to about 280,000 pounds.
“It’s a huge help,” said Karen Andrews, who runs the kitchen at Lifebridge. “We go through what would have been thrown away and pull all salvageable produce and bread from the bags.”
She added that the donations are especially valuable during the fall and winter months “when our gardens are no longer producing fresh produce.”
Thibedeau is amazed at how Andrews whips the food into a feast.
“She takes it all, waves her magic wand and turns it into a wholesome meal for residents and needy people,” he said.
Lifebridge serves 60-80 guests three times a day, totaling about 7,000 meals a month.
Thibedeau, 80, looks forward to his weekly volunteer job.
“I’m doing something concrete to help the needy of the world,” he said. “I can’t save the world, but I can do something that’s practical. If every grocery store in the country allowed this to happen — hooking up with a church, Rotary Club — you would go a long way to solving the food crisis in America.”
Crosby’s also partners with Marblehead-based nonprofit SPUR, whose volunteers pick up food from Crosby’s three days a week and deliver it to Elliot House in Swampscott, RCC in Lynn and the Lynn Community Fridge.
“We like giving back to the community,” said Crosby’s Marblehead General Manager Mike Bosse. “Times are tough. All the food is still good. We have great products. If an apple has a little dent on it, it’s still delicious. We were throwing out so much, it was like, ‘We have to think of ways to give back.’”
SPUR also partners with Shubie’s to deliver food to the Anchor Food Pantry in Swampscott and Ruth’s Way in Lynn.
“It tends to be a lot of baked goods, but our prepared foods certainly make it into their orange pick-up bags — mini cheeseboards, crudite, tuna salad, chicken tenders. As long as we are confident that the food is safe to eat, we will send it,” said Shubie’s General Manager Doug Shube.
He added, “Sadly, ‘food insecurity’ is a hot phrase these days, and I think it’s more important than ever to do as much as we can to help our neighbors and our community. This food is still delicious and can make a difference. It shouldn’t go into the dumpster.”
Kim Nothnagel with SPUR says there’s a lot of food waste in the country.
“Each year, over 30% of all food in the U.S. goes unserved and ends up in landfill,” she said. “That’s over 133 billion pounds of food annually.”
Food waste produces large amounts of methane, too, a dangerous greenhouse gas, she noted.
“SPUR’s food rescue program helps our community shrink our environmental impact while meeting critical — and growing — needs in our community every day,” Nothnagel said.
Another way to help is to donate — either food or money — to the Marblehead Food Pantry. Learn more at marbleheadfoodpantry.org.
Editor Leigh Blander is an experienced TV, radio and print journalist.
