SWAMPSCOTT — Anchor Food Pantry has been designated as a Salem Five Community Star and received a $5,000 donation from the organization to continue its work supporting families in need.
Salem Five Vice President and Branch Manager Hariklia Gjikuria explained how the donation came about.
“We focus a lot on the community, and both companies and nonprofits that do a lot of good work in the surrounding areas. The donations we do in December are part of a larger program called ‘Make a Difference in December,’ and Anchor Food Pantry does amazing work for the nearby communities,” Gjikuria said.
She noted that, last November, the pantry gave approximately 165 Thanksgiving meals to families in need. Gjikuria reiterated that the pantry’s work aligns closely with Salem Five’s mission to support local organizations and nonprofits.
“I’ve always been a strong believer that you have to give back to the community. In order for Anchor Food Pantry to do what they do, they need the support of organizations like Salem Five and other companies. We are blessed that we have the ability to do so, and we like giving back to the community,” she said.
Anchor Food Pantry Treasurer Diane O’Brien said, when the federal government announced last October that the SNAP benefits program was going to be suspended, the community responded immediately to help the organization.
“Donations flooded in; food drives were starting; kids were selling hot chocolate stands to collect money for us… It was overwhelming, the amount of support we received. We’re just a little food pantry; we serve approximately 150 families a month, and we’ve been doing this for six years,” O’Brien said. “We really depended on the community’s support, and they have continued to wow us with their support. It’s incredible.”
O’Brien said it’s humbling for the pantry to be designated as a Salem Five Community Star.
“The only thing that we spend money on is food. The Town has been very gracious to lend us a building. We don’t pay rent; we don’t hire employees; we don’t do marketing… We’re just out in the community all the time,” she said. “I’m just incredibly grateful for the donation.”
The organization gets 4,500 pounds of food each month from the Boston Food Bank, and it supplements that amount with purchases from local supermarkets and food drives.
“The money will go right back into the food stock that we purchase and give to the community,” O’Brien said. “We don’t even buy bags; we beg, borrow, and steal from our friends and family… We don’t spend money on anything else but feeding our community.”
Anchor Food Pantry President Susan Downs-Cripps said, “We are so grateful to Salem Five for recognizing us with this wonderful donation. It will help us supply food for our ongoing project of feeding people in Swampscott and Nahant.”
