Community food pantry opens in Indian Orchard

New at noon, the Indian Orchard Citizens Council held a grand opening for the community food pantry that opened today. 22 News reporter Nick Antonakis joins us live in studio now with how the new pantry will help fight food insecurity. Yeah, Julie, that fight against food insecurity continues, this time in Indian Orchard. Take a look. The Indian Orchard Citizens Council's new community food pantry is now open. The grand opening marked the beginning of a new era of addressing food insecurity in western Massachusetts. We're a team here and it feels good for all of us and I just hope this takes off and it feels great to help. Food insecurity continues to take a toll on the Pioneer Valley. The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts says the western part of the Bay State has over 98,000 people suffering from food insecurity, with childhood food insecurity numbers sitting over 26,000. Thanks to funding from the Community Foundation, 117 Main Street now serves as a force to bring those numbers down. I'm so happy we finally have a food pantry here. Unfortunately, prices in the shop get higher. To have a food pantry is critical for us. Now, fighting food insecurity isn't just about getting any type of food to people in need. It's making sure that that food is healthy and nutritious. People should have access to healthy foods. They should be able to provide healthy snacks for their kids and fruit and vegetables and all that good stuff. So we're hoping to keep everyone healthy. And the grand opening is motivating others to help, too. So I would like to come here and help, and I will be so happy to do it. Thank you for a great service and job and everything to make Indian Orchard even better. The pantry is open from Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for primarily Indian Orchard residents, but no one will be turned away. Working for you, Nick Antonakis, 22 News.