Templeton Food Pantry says volunteer shortfalls and seasonal donations strain year-round operations

The Templeton Food Pantry, managed by New Hope Bible Chapel, is struggling to keep shifts covered and relies on holiday giving to sustain operations for the rest of the year, the pantry’s director, Shocote, said during an interview.

Shocote said New Hope Bible Chapel has run the pantry since November 2020 and that the pantry currently serves Templeton and neighboring Phillipston; within Templeton, service includes Otter River, Baldwinville and East Templeton. "We serve Templeton and Phillipston," she said.

Staffing is the pantry's biggest challenge, Shocote said. "The most challenging thing is volunteers," she said, noting the pantry has "about 30 volunteers" but needs at least two people at all open hours and three to four people on busier days such as Tuesdays and Thursdays. Those gaps make it difficult to guarantee consistent hours, she added.

The pantry also has recurring needs for specific donated items. "Items we can always use are dry cereal, juice, [Chef Boyardee] products like Beefaroni, boxed pasta and pasta sauce," Shocote said. Food donations tend to increase around the holidays, she said, but are steadier at other times of year.

Monetary donations are concentrated in the November–December period and must often support the pantry through slower months. "During November and December, we receive the majority of our monetary donations," Shocote said. "What we get during those two months pretty much has to sustain us the rest of the year."

James Bennett, a member of Troop 39 from Phillipston, opened the interview and identified himself as visiting the pantry. He did not offer figures beyond the volunteer estimate.

The pantry did not provide a contact or schedule for volunteer sign-ups during the interview. Shocote encouraged ongoing donations and volunteer participation to help maintain regular hours and meet demand year-round.