Hampden DA’s Office and Massachusets State Police held food drive at Big Y in Wilbraham
WILBRAHAM, Mass. (WWLP) — As we approach the holidays and the price of groceries and other essentials continues to increase, local families might be in more need than usual. Local officials gathered at the Big Y on Boston Road in Wilbraham for a food drive on Sunday.
This particular drive was organized by the Hampden District Attorney’s Office, the Massachusetts State Police, and Big Y grocery stores. 22News spoke with Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni about the growing need.
“The need is greater than ever. I mean if you talk to the folks at food banks, there’s been a lot of people adversely affected by the pandemic. And there’s a lot of people who are in need that aren’t as fortunate as we are,” Gulluni said.
According to Feeding America, not only do food drives benefit those in immediate need, but they’re also a great way to raise awareness about hunger in the community and encourage others to help. The national organization predicted that 1 in 8 people will experience food insecurity in 2021.
“Because everything is going up so high. It’s really ridiculous, it’s really sad. I help people myself, I help senior citizens, I get them a big box every year,” Minni Galloway from Springfield said.
The proceeds of the food drive in Wilbraham will go towards Rock 102’s Mayflower Marathon.