Berkshire Food Project
News Update: Nourishing Neighbors Delivery to Berkshire Food Pantry
This week, Wild Oats General Manager Netse personally delivered a truck full of food to the Berkshire Food Project as part of the Nourishing Neighbors program. This initiative leverages the co-op’s buying power to purchase high-quality groceries for local food pantries, ensuring that families in our community have access to nutritious staples.
The delivery included a wide range of Field Day product pantry essentials:
Whole Grain Toasted O’s & Honey Nut O’s
Italian Herb and Marinara pasta sauces
Elbows, Penne Rigate, and Spaghetti
White rice and Brown rice
Dark red kidney beans, cut green beans, sweet peas, and sweet corn
Chunk white albacore tuna
Pineapple chunks
Interested in helping strengthen local food support? Learn more about the program - click here.
Photo: Wild Oats Market GM Netse with Berkshire Food Pantry Director Matt and Executive Chef, Lesa
Help Nourish Our Neighbors This Season
We’re proud to partner with the Berkshire Food Project as a drop-box location this holiday season. From now through December, you can make a meaningful difference by donating non-perishable items to support their kitchen, guests, and Thanksgiving meal efforts.
How to Help: Next time you shop at the co-op, bring along a shelf-stable item - think canned goods, pasta, rice, or hearty soups - and place it in the donation box in front of the service desk.
Why It Matters: Your generosity helps ensure that everyone in our community can enjoy a warm, nourishing meal this holiday season and daily. Every can, box, and bag adds up to something bigger: shared dignity and care.
More Info: Please refer to the flyer posted near the drop box for specific donation needs and details from Berkshire Food Project.
photo (left) Wild Oats General Manager, Netse (right) Tim Faselt, Acting Executive Director and Board President of BFP
Wild Oats Market is thrilled to announce the success of February’s Every Penny Counts campaign, resulting in a donation of $2,145.83 to the Berkshire Food Project (BFP). This remarkable contribution underscores the power of community in tackling food insecurity, thanks to the generosity of Wild Oats shoppers who rounded up their purchases or donated at the register.
The donation was personally presented by Wild Oats General Manager, Netse, to Tim Faselt, Acting Executive Director and Board President of BFP, who expressed heartfelt gratitude. Tim highlighted that these funds will play a vital role in ensuring BFP’s mission to provide hot, nutritious meals in a welcoming environment to anyone in need—no questions asked.
A BFP regular shared their appreciation, saying, "Lunch at the Berkshire Food Project is the best hour and a half of my day!"
More Than Meals: Building Community Since 1987, the Berkshire Food Project has been a cornerstone of North Adams, offering 40,000 scratch-cooked meals in 2024 and aiming to meet even greater demand this year. Its welcoming space at the First Congregational Church fosters dignity, respect, and connection in the face of food insecurity and social isolation.
Wild Oats Market is proud to partner with BFP, highlighting the profound impact small actions can have in supporting vital community resources.
Join Us in Making a Difference:
Donate: click here
Connect: Berkshire Food Project Facebook Page click here
The Berkshire Food Project is located in the hall of the First Congregational Church of North Adams, has been offering people meals with dignity and respect since 1987.
Berkshire Food Project
Founded by Williams College students in conjunction with Church members and others, BFP’s mission, from the start, has been as much about ending social isolation as feeding people.
Five days a week, our kitchen prepares 200 hot, nutritious meals from scratch with a team of dedicated volunteers who complete the task in just three hours. Lunch is
served in a safe and welcoming dining room where guests can connect to community resources and one another. BFP also provides a takeout program and partners with other community organizations to reach food-insecure individuals at six locations across Northern Berkshire County.
BFP has fed an unprecedented number of meals in 2024. 8,000 more meals were served this past year than in 2023.
Currently, our dining room is open Monday through Friday between 11:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. All are welcome for a no cost, no questions asked free meal.
👉 Connect with the Berkshire Food Project:
Facebook Page: Berkshire Food Project
Donation Page: Contribute to the Berkshire Food Project
February 2025 Every Penny Counts Recipient: Berkshire Food Project
Berkshire Food Project, with community support, can continue serving healthy, no-cost meals to those in need. Together, we create a community where dignity and respect flourish.
Your spare change can make a big difference!
Donations help provide essential aid to alleviate hunger, food insecurity, and social isolation by serving healthy, no-cost meals and connecting people to valuable resources.
Berkshire Food Project
Stephanie, Executive Director of Berkshire Food Project (photo here), and your friends at Wild Oats Market extend our heartfelt thanks to Northern Berkshire Community for your incredible generosity for bringing forth nonperishable items for the Berkshire Food Project at Wild Oats Market.