Food security
Network members include Southern Berkshire food producers, food pantries, and community-based food distribution centers; we pool our efforts to nourish the local community by sourcing and distributing high-quality, nutritious food, promoting dietary wellness, and ensuring that no child, family, senior, disabled, or homeless individual in our local area goes hungry. We seek to leverage our collective efforts to bring about sustainable change and foster a healthier and more resilient local community.
FOOD ACCESS PARTNERS
Berkshire South Regional Community Center is a nonprofit entity offering diverse programs for people of all ages. The Center strives to be a location where people are linked with opportunity and local resources. Aside from being a gathering place and host to local events, the Center holds an annual free Community Thanks Supper.
Community Health Programs Berkshires nurture and inspire healthy lives for people throughout the county by delivering exceptional and compassionate health care and family services. CHP's integrated network offers adult and pediatric primary care, women's health, dental care, and nutrition. Through our primary care clinicians, CHP can refer patients to short-term behavioral health support. Our practitioners are all board-certified or licensed as required by law.
Family Resource Center offers a wide variety of programs, support groups, and events to meet the needs of their community members. If the Center cannot provide the needed resources, it will assist with connections to those who can. All services, including transportation, child care, and snacks, are free.
Simon Rock Center for Food & Resilience is a new on-campus initiative to create a center dedicated to exploring sustainable ways of living, the future of food and agriculture, and community connections. The production garden provides fresh produce to the People's Pantry, Great Barrington.
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Farmington River Regional School District is a region formed in 1992 to provide educational services for the towns of Otis and Sandisfield in the Southeast corner of Berkshire County. The District operates one school, Farmington River Elementary for Pre-Kindergarten through 6th grade.
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Greenagers Farm at April Hill Conservation and Education Center provides fresh produce to local health centers and food pantries and hands-on education for local youth in all aspects of running the farm.
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Monterey Food Pantry, hosted by the Monterey United Church of Christ, distributes food and some household goods on-site and by delivery to the community.
The People's Pantry of Great Barrington serves those experiencing food insecurity by distributing healthy food, locally sourced whenever feasible. Run by volunteers and open to all community residents, there are no income guidelines, and shoppers are welcome to visit once a week.
Multicultural BRIDGE emphasizes food sovereignty and sustainability, featuring Gideon's Garden in youth summer programs from Seed to Harvest, offering nutritious meals for families, and expanding partnerships with farms like Woven Roots to provide shares, seedlings, and seeds to its community.
Sheffield Food Assistance Program serves Southern Berkshire Regional School District residents. The program is homed in the kitchen and parish hall of Old Parish Church at 125 Main Street in Sheffield. This food assistance outreach is run entirely by volunteers.