Friends Feeding Friends
Friends Feeding Friends is a program designed to decrease food insecurity, increase food access and reduce food waste to all residents of the Mascoma Valley Regional School District. The program launched in February 2016 and has grown exponentially.
Item donations may be dropped off in bins at Canaan Hardware and Canaan Village Pizza or at the FOM office on Tuesdays 10 am-5 pm or Wednesdays 1-5 pm.
We partner with many local organizations to bring more nutritional opportunities into the district including the New Hampshire Food Bank, Willing Hands, Tri-County CAP, Mascoma Valley Ecumenical Council, the Mascoma Valley first responders, Shaw’s, and more.
Our program operates two food pantries, one in Canaan and one in Enfield, plus is the primary source of food and personal hygiene items for the pantry located at Mascoma Valley Regional High School.
Our impact in 2020
All shoppers are to practice appropriate health precautions. If you are sick and need a food delivery, please contact the emergency services manager in your town.
Who are these pantries for? Our pantries are open to anyone in need of a 3-day supply of groceries that lives in one of the 5 Mascoma Valley Towns: Canaan, Dorchester, Enfield, Grafton, and Orange.
How often can someone visit the curbside pantries: Once a week at either location.
If you cannot make it to either location during those hours or are unable to shop due to illness and do not have a family member or friend who can pick up for you, please contact your town’s emergency services manager.
What information is required: If you are a new pantry shopper, for statistical tracking purposes, we ask many questions. They are simple questions that do not require any paperwork on your part. Please come prepared to verbally let us know the name of your head of household, date of birth, relationship to head of household, and town and state of residence for each member of the household, as well as the number of and ages of all people in the household. If you are an existing pantry shopper we may confirm a few details, but you will not have to answer all questions again.
A note on safety: The Friends of Mascoma Foundation is following guidelines from the CDC as well as normal food handling and safety procedures. Per the CDC and the FDA: “Currently there is no evidence of food or food packaging being associated with transmission of COVID-19.”
Volunteers
If you are interested in volunteering for our Friends Feeding Friends program please email food@friendsofmascoma.org. Please note that all volunteers are required to read and sign a liability waiver before volunteering.
Food Insecurity
Learn more about food insecurity on the USDA website and in the NH Food Bank's "Hunger in America: 2014 Report" and the referenced PDF compiled by Feeding American entitled "Hunger in America 2014, Report for New Hampshire Food Bank."
