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Community Corner

Food Pantry Embarks on Capital Campaign to Pay for New Facility

Haven From Hunger has embarked on a fundraising campaign to bring in $1.3 million to pay for a new facility for the food pantry.

Haven From Hunger, one of the largest food pantries in the area, recently embarked on a $1.3 million Capital Campaign to raise the money it needs to serve its clients into the future.

“I made it a top priority to expand both our facility and client programs to fully accommodate every family that is in need on the North Shore,” said Haven Executive Director Alyse Barbash,

“For more than two decades, hundreds of struggling area families and homeless residents have relied on Haven From Hunger. As more and more people take advantage of our services, we have outgrown our current location,” Barbash said.

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“Outgrown” may be an understatement. The food pantry currently rents part of the Masonic Lodge at 71 Wallis St., and with it, serves over 1,200 families a month from Peabody, Salem and Lynnfield.

“We are in a space too small to do our work effectively,” Barbash explains. But she doesn’t just want you to take her word for it: she invites interested people to stop down and see the growing need for themselves.

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“Hunger is a symptom of other problems, sometimes it is a language barrier, other times it is economy driven or technology driven. There are many reasons for hunger that we cannot address in our present location,” explains Barbash.

“A new expanded facility will help the Haven achieve its goal of doubling its capacity to serve…as well as implementing new programs, such as job and interview training, nutritional education and meal preparation classes,” she said.

To meet these needs, the Haven is currently looking at several buildings. The food pantry needs plenty of space — another 5,000 square feet at least — for a commercial kitchen, a large dining area and proper storage for the all the donated items that allow the organization to help so many people. And it all needs to be handicapped-accessible, both for the convenience of the clients and so the Haven can apply for state grants and other funding for which it is presently ineligible.

To start off the Capital Campaign, the Haven teamed up with the North Shore Navigators last month for Haven Night at the Navigators. Supporters could watch the Navs take on the Laconia Muskrats, knowing a portion of their $6 ticket would be donated to the food pantry. And anyone who donated a bag of canned goods got a free drink in return.

The next round of fundraising is coming up later this month and will shoppers another incentive to hit the mall.

The first event will be a raffle with . Tickets can be purchased directly from the Haven for $5. The winner gets a $500 gift card to Macy’s. And when you buy a ticket, you also get a “shopping pass” that will get you 25 percent off at Macy’s on Aug. 27 — perfect for some back to school shopping.

Another fundraiser for the fall is still in the planning stages. As you may know, the North Shore is full of well-known authors. In that spirit, the Haven will be having an Author’s Night, where attendees can share a meal, hear authors read from their works and have their books signed.

Watch the Haven’s website for prices, a date and the list of authors to be announced.

If you’d like to visit, volunteer or make a donation to Haven From Hunger, call 978-531-1530 or simply donate online.

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