Goodwill Bringing Food To Our Communities
Wild Oats Market Strengthens Local Farms with Goodwill’s Food Delivery Truck
Your spare change can make a big difference at checkout. When you round up for the Fighting Hunger in the Berkshires Initiative, your donation supports Goodwill Industries of the Berkshires and Southern Vermont, Inc. in their effort to pay for a delivery truck that will bring food directly to local pantries. This truck will help distribute up to 9,000 pounds of food in every run, ensuring that our neighbors across Northern Berkshire County don’t go to bed hungry. These donations will go towards deliveries in Northern Berkshires.
Goodwill Industries of the Berkshires and Southern Vermont is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing deliveries of healthy and nutritious food through the "Fighting Hunger in the Berkshires Initiative". Since April of 2020, the Goodwill logistics team and drivers have provided weekly deliveries of 9,000 lbs. of food in each run from the Western Massachusetts Food Bank in Chicopee to ten food pantries, meal sites and a homeless shelter in the Berkshires. The high cost of living, unpredictable policy changes, and diminished federal support pose a significant threat to the well-being of people in every town and city in Western Massachusetts. Without adequate investment, not only will individuals go hungry, but the entire food economy - from food banks to grocers to farms - will be severely impacted. The most vulnerable among us will bear the brunt of these cuts. Nearly half (44 percent) of SNAP households in Massachusetts include older adults, 50 percent include a person with a disability and 40 percent include children. The emergency food system in Berkshire County is already serving more individuals and families than ever before due to the high cost of food and inflation. Some sites are reporting an additional 10 to 15 families each week.
The "Fighting Hunger in the Berkshires Initiative" has seen a significant growth of 17% to 120% increase in individuals/households/new households served and poundage of food distributed from 2024 to 2025. Goodwill food truck delivered the following poundage of nutritious and healthy food to the existing six (6) and four (4) new food pantries and meal sites (Total of 10):
Delivery of food in 2025 was 412,368 pounds (17% increase from 2024)
Number of households served in 2025 was 21,866 (80% increase from 2024)
Number of individuals served in 2025 was 43,925 (75% increase from 2024)
Number of new households served in 2025 was 1,429 (120% increase from 2024)
Partnership to date include ten (10) food pantries, meal sites, homeless shelter in North & Central counties:
• Al Nelson Friendship Center Food Pantry, North Adams, MA
• Berkshire Food Project, North Adams, MA
• Louison House Homeless Shelter, Adams, MA
• Williamstown Community Bible Church Food Pantry, Williamstown, MA
• First Congregational Church Food Pantry, Adams, MA
• Pittsfield Community Food Pantry, Pittsfield, MA
• Berkshire Community College, Pittsfield, MA
• Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, North Adams, MA
• Berkshire Dream Center Kitchen, Pittsfield, MA
• Wheel Estate Food Pantry, North Adams, MA
Western Massachusetts Food Bank gave Goodwill Industries and Maryam Kamangar their Community Impact Award at the open house and award ceremony on Wednesday, June 18th at the Food Bank in Chicopee. "We are so grateful for your partnership over the past 5 years and look forward to more years of collaboration to benefit the people of the Berkshires," said Christina Maxwell, Director of Programs at the Western Massachusetts Food Bank.
"Your spare change can make a big difference at the check out for the "Fighting Hunger in the Berkshires Initiative". It'll be helping food pantries to receive up to 9,000 lbs. of food and make it possible for the Berkshire County individuals and families to not go to bed hungry. Everyone in Berkshire County deserves to enjoy the bounty of the Berkshires. Fresh vegetables, fruit and dairy products shouldn't be a luxury. It should be accessible and available to every Berkshire resident", said Maryam Kamangar, Community Development at Goodwill.
We are so grateful for this support from Wild Oats Market, the "Every Penny Counts" program is such a great way to acknowledge Food Insecurity and supporting Goodwill food truck's deliveries to the Northern Berkshires communities. Goodwill Industries of the Berkshires deeply appreciates being a recipient of this community-oriented program in April 2026 toward food insecurity.
To Learn More and Apply:
The funds received for the "Fighting Hunger in the Berkshires Initiative" to deliver food from Western Massachusetts Food Bank in Chicopee to food pantries and meal sites in Northern Berkshire communities come exclusively from grants/sponsorships. Contact Maryam Kamangar to set up a business or an individual sponsorship:
413-442-0061 EXT 22 (Office)
732-841-6266 (Cell)