In response to the increasing food insecurity experienced by those hit hardest by the COVID-19 crisis, the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Nashua united with community organizations throughout Nashua to provide meals to children and families most in need. The Club has partnered with the United Way of Greater Nashua, Nashua School District, Nashua Transit System, Nashua Soup Kitchen and Shelter, Inc., End 68 Hours of Hunger – Nashua, The Salvation Army of Nashua, and Southern NH Services; working together to assemble, transport, and distribute breakfast and lunches at selected school distribution sites. Since the crisis started, over 70,000 meals have been handed with services continuing throughout the summer.

The Club’s efforts to help feed families throughout the community are connected to their food and nutrition program where they provide over 50,000 healthy and free meals annually. Knowing many of the kids they serve are at the highest risk of experiencing food insecurity, the Club didn’t hesitate to get involved in community-wide efforts to make meals free and accessible.

Club Teen Director JW Williams, Teen Education Director Bree Cosgrove and Teen Individual Services Director Janeth Orozco-Sanchez have played a major role in keeping the food supply chain operating for kids in the Nashua community. Three days a week, the Club staff helps collect and assemble food packages full of fresh produce and healthy food options. Currently, meals are being delivered Monday, Wednesday, and Friday to four elementary schools Dr. Crisp, Broad Street, Sunset Heights and Pennichuck and distributed by United Way of Greater Nashua volunteers with all meals being assembled at Nashua North.

To date, the staff members have loaded, delivered, and unpacked over 1000 pounds of fresh produce and food items to eight elementary schools and two middle schools. The Club staff’s efforts follow the Club’s previous initiative of distributing Hannaford gift cards to Club families most in need of them.

“Food insecurity is a real issue now with many families still struggling to make ends meet as workplaces and businesses remain closed due to the Covid-19 crisis,” said Teen Individual Services Director Janeth Orozco-Sanchez. “We are happy to do our part in making sure our members and their families are cared for and know that we’re here to support them whatever their needs are.”

In an effort to make sure no food goes to waste, the Club expanded its efforts by delivering meals directly to Club member and other families living in the Amherst Park Apartments, supplying fresh produce from the Soup Kitchen and food donations from the Salvation Army as well as leftover meals from the schools they deliver to. Volunteering to help with this initiative were Club teen member Anthony and his mother Karen who helped bring the meals over to the residents’ apartments and carry packages up to those who couldn’t come out to browse the selection. Those food packages contained a variety of healthy food options including fresh fruits and vegetables, pasta and sauces, canned goods, frozen poultry and pork products, breads and quarts of milk.

As the Club’s summer camp program for 8-12 year olds, our licensed Kids Club program, and the Stahl Teen Center begins reopening its doors to members and the staff’s responsibilities shift to meet their needs, the Club van drivers plan to take over the initiative of delivering meals to families and school distribution sites. The Club will continue to be part of meal distribution for as long as the crisis calls for their services.

Club CEO Norman Bouthilette said, “While following CDC guidelines and state recommendations during our limited reopening, our Club members are served breakfasts, snacks, lunches, and dinners daily free of charge. To our summer campers, the Club is averaging approximately 100 meals daily. We recognize that there is a real need in our community for healthy and readily available meals to feed kids and families, especially now. During this COVID-19 crisis, families are struggling now more than ever before. We want to whatever we can to meet their needs.”

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