Tuesday, Jun 18, 2019
The Greater Lawrence Community Action Council, Inc. has received several generous donations to support the agency’s food pantry.
Using a $5,000 grant from the Essex County Community Foundation and a $500 donation from Harmonic Drive LLC in Peabody, GLCAC will purchase an industrial refrigerator and freezer, reusable bags and coolers.
“We are so thankful for the support the pantry has received from our community partners,’’ said Evelyn Friedman, GLCAC’s executive director. “This new equipment will allow us to provide a greater variety of food to our pantry participants. The expanded options will help them prepare healthy, balanced meals for their families.’’
GLCAC opened a food pantry in October 2018. The pantry, located at 305 Essex St. in Lawrence, is open Tuesdays from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.
Each week, the food varies depending on availability at the Merrimack Valley Food Bank. But without refrigeration, the pantry has only been able to offer non-perishable foods and hardier produce such as apples and potatoes. Going forward, the pantry may be able to stock milk, yogurt, eggs, meat, seafood and a wider variety of fruits and vegetables.
Using funds from the ECCF grant, GLCAC will also purchase reusable bags that participants can take to the pantry each week and coolers to keep the perishable foods at a safe temperature during pantry hours.
The Massachusetts Health Connector also recently donated 500 reusable bags to the pantry. GLCAC partners with the Health Connector to ensure individuals have health care coverage.
The Essex County Community Foundation supports the communities of Essex County by managing charitable assets, strengthening and supporting nonprofits, and engaging in strategic community leadership initiatives.
Harmonic Drive LLC’s mission is to provide motion control solutions that give its customers a competitive advantage. To accomplish this, they continually invest in the growth of their employees and in their company’s capabilities. Harmonic Drive is committed to a corporate culture that celebrates and encourages community involvement, investment, and volunteerism.
GLCAC is a multi-faceted social services agency that assisted 32,648 individuals in 2018 through a range of programs including early childhood education, fuel assistance, WIC nutrition assistance, immigration services, lead poisoning prevention, child abuse prevention, English-language lessons, and consumer protection.