Interview with Amy Norton
Executive Director of Lakes Region Food Pantry
Food is such a basic need it’s hard to imagine going without it. That motivated four friends to band together twelve years ago to find a way to help their neighbors who were fighting food insecurity and the Lakes Region Food Pantry was created.
Executive Director Amy Norton says they set up a classic food pantry offering non-perishable and perishable items in a store setting. But, after she visited Life Ministries in Wolfeboro which offers vouchers, the founders decided to try adding vouchers to see how it worked. Norton says they liked that the vouchers gave clients access to fruits, vegetables, dairy products, meat and other basic necessities such as toilet paper and paper towels. The voucher allows a family member to shop at local grocery stores for items they know their family likes with the added bonus of being able to buy fresher and healthier items. Clients let be known they much preferred shopping with the vouchers and now the program is voucher-based serving over 400 local families each month.
The need has become more acute than ever according to Norton. The Pantry’s clients range from the very young to the elderly. She sees folks who have been through a divorce, or lost their spouse, and find themselves with diminished income. Winter is the Pantry’s busy time of year as applications rise during heating season. Sometimes families find themselves having to choose between paying for heat or buying food.
The Food Pantry owes some of its success to the Greater Lakes Region Children’s Auction which started funding the Pantry four or five years ago. Norton says The Children’s Auction has been an important part of the Food Pantry’s summer lunch and sneaker/backpack program.
Beyond battling food insecurity, the founders wanted to find other ways in which to support their clients. As a result, the Food Pantry runs a summer lunch program during the summer break which serves Moultonborough and Inter-lakes School Districts as well as other towns without summer lunch programs. Students who qualify get weekly vouchers for food and also are able to go to Bootleggers in Meredith to pick up new sneakers and backpacks for the start of the school year. Norton says her organization looks for ways to help their clients feel better about themselves so they can be ready for opportunities to improve their lives. “These kids should feel good and have what others have”, to start out a new school year, she says.
In addition, donors came forward who wanted to provide college scholarships to area students. The Food Pantry provides five $1,000 scholarships to graduating high school students or adult learners already enrolled in higher education. The application can be found on their website with a deadline of March 15th.
Norton says there are lots of ways the community can support the Lakes Region Food Pantry. She suggests volunteering, donating items to the thrift shop, getting the word out to families who need support or donating money. Norton says she is happy to talk with anyone who has questions at 603-986-0357.
Article written by Beth Osgood Dodge. If you are a Greater Lakes Region Children's Auction funded nonprofit contact Beth at beth03253@gmail.com to arrange an interview and let us spread awareness for your mission!