Upcoming Closures!
The Newton Food Pantry will be closed on Wednesday, April 29 and Thursday, April 30.
The thousands of personal care products we provide annually to our clients is primarily through a longtime partnership with Hope & Comfort, an amazing nonprofit organization that provides products free of charge to the Newton Food Pantry.
Last year, the Needham-based organization provided more than two million essential hygiene products to 350+ youth-serving and community organizations free of charge and expects to increase that number to three million this year, according to Kerry Ann Carter, CEO.
“Our partnership with the Newton Food Pantry is so important,” Carter said during a recent visit. “Without organizations like yours we wouldn’t be able to deliver the products that are so essential to so many children and adults.”
Hygiene insecurity, she explained, is a “hidden crisis” as it has a significant impact on physical and mental health. And while there are government programs that assist in the purchasing of food, no support is provided for essential hygiene products.
The lack of personal hygiene products can impact children and adults in so many ways, Carter said. She shared stories about a child who was bullied at school because she smelled bad or an adult who couldn’t go on a job interview for the same reason.
“Our vision,” she said, “is that one day everyone in the U.S. will have access to the basic hygiene products they need to feel clean, confident and healthy.”
Carter pointed out that there is a strong correlation between food and hygiene insecurity. “Research shows that 58% of low-income individuals report that they cut back on food in order to afford hygiene products.”
Hope & Comfort was founded in 2011 by Jeff Feingold as a way to teach his children the importance of giving back. Today it is the largest nonprofit in Massachusetts solely focused on hygiene.