LYNN — A group of volunteers from M&T Bank stocked shelves of donated food at the Catholic Charities Food Pantry for Giving Tuesday.
During November, M&T Bank collected non-perishable food items at its Greater Boston branch locations as part of Catholic Charities Boston’s Hope for the Holidays campaign. On Tuesday, the M&T Charitable Foundation also presented Catholic Charities Boston with a $20,000 check to fight food insecurity.
While it is M&T Bank’s second year in a row of donating food to Catholic Charities, the organization is seeing a surge in visits to its food pantries this year, according to the president and CEO of Catholic Charities Boston, Kelley Tuthill.
“Hunger doesn’t wait for the next paycheck. The clients who come here every day are facing a week ahead, and they’re not sure how it’s all going to come together. Whether it’s prescription drugs, food, paying the bills, or keeping the heat on, these are the impossible choices people are forced to make every day,” Tuthill said.
Tuthill noted the importance of the timing of the donations when SNAP is currently facing uncertainty in Massachusetts.
“It certainly hasn’t been easier with everything going on this year. It’s really terrible to think about one day having a benefit that helps you manage everything you have on your plate, and the next day, it’s not there,” Tuthill said.
Tuthill added, “When the SNAP crisis hit, M&T said, ‘What can we do?’ And instead of just expressing concerns, they stepped up. We’re not powerless in the face of challenges. Our neighbors are not left out in the cold alone. We stand together, we step up, and we see what we can do.”
Jeff Carpenter, M&T Bank’s interim regional president in Massachusetts, described the collaboration with Catholic Charities as an “aspirational phase for community partnership.”
“One of the things we talk about at M&T is stepping up in moments that matter. Food insecurity in Massachusetts is in crisis mode right now. And this is a moment that matters particularly with Giving Tuesday. So we’re incredibly proud and grateful to be here to support,” Carpenter said.
Mayor Jared C. Nicholson thanked M&T Bank and Catholic Charities for “helping us to advance our goals to eliminate hunger,” and said the volunteer work on Tuesday is “representative of a broad coalition that takes this mission seriously.”
“Everyone has different ways of giving back, (and this) creates a really attractive opportunity for folks who do want to give back. I appreciate M&T Bank for seeing the role this pantry plays for Lynn and for the region,” Nicholson said.
Lita Spain, CPA at the M&T Conant Street location in Danvers, explained why she chose to volunteer at the Catholic Charities Food Pantry for Giving Tuesday.
“At a time like this in society, it’s very important that we give as much as we can to the community in need,” Spain said.
Volunteer Alexis Petit, branch manager at the M&T Milk Street location in Boston, said she has seen many of her customers affected by food insecurity in recent months.
“This is just one of the small things I can do to give back to make sure that people can have food to support their families during the holidays,” Petit said.
