A Chaloner Associate volunteers at the Food Pantry

Chaloner Associate, Rich Young (who claims to be neither rich nor young), decided to give back to his community and looked for ways he could fulfill that pledge. He was shocked when his research revealed that there was hunger in Newton, Massachusetts, an established and well-off suburb of Boston where he lives. A recent national survey shows that one in six Americans is food insecure and one in four children live in a food-insecure household. In Newton, the problem appears in subsidized housing and among elderly residents.

The Newton Food Pantry, located at a former branch library building, is a non-profit organization run by volunteers. Food is distributed every Wednesday from 1:30-3:30 p.m. except the third Wednesday of the month, and the pantry is open on the 3rd Saturday from 11:00 am to 12:00 p.m. It provides a three-day supply of food, one time per month, for eligible Newton residents.

On his first visit there, Rich was impressed by the volume and variety of food available including canned goods, fresh vegetables, dairy products and non-food items. Over the years, they have built up a number of resources, from house-to-house collection to food stores, restaurants and school children. It is very well organized with "young" volunteers (55-70), including Rich!

Members sign in and register, and then pick out a certain amount of items depending on the size of their family. About 30 people visited the day Rich started as a volunteer. That's fewer than usual because of the bad weather. Most arrive on public transportation, which means they have to be able to lift and carry all that they get.

Volunteers work separately with each person, helping them gather their food. It gives them a chance to interact with them personally. They all have stories. For people going through tough times, most are very friendly and very appreciative.

Rich said that it feels good to be a part of the process of helping others…

There is a food pantry in most every town in this wealthy country. Locally the Greater Boston Food Bank (http://www.gbfb.org) distributes more than 31 million pounds of food and groceries through 600 member hunger-relief agencies in eastern Massachusetts. Nationally, Share Our Strength (strength.org) works to feed the 17 million children who are at risk of hunger.

About Chaloner Associates, Inc.

CELEBRATING OUR 30TH YEAR IN EXECUTIVE SEARCH - Chaloner Associates is a national, executive search firm specializing in communications, marketing, advertising, and interactive recruitment. With offices in Boston and New York, we work with corporate, agency, consulting and non-profit clients in all industries across the US and Canada. Our knowledgeable recruiters, team-based approach, and long-term client and candidate relationships distinguish Chaloner Associates as a leader in talent acquisition since 1979.