News  Southern Berkshire District Court launches annual food drive

Great Barrington, MA — Food will be collected in bins under a tent from 9 am to 4 pm. The food drive will continue through Friday, October 21st.

Southern Berkshire has hosted this annual food drive for several years as a kick-off to the Massachusetts Trial Court's Cultural Appreciation Week celebration when the courts acknowledge and celebrate the many cultures represented among employees, court users, and residents in the communities surrounding the courts. This year's Cultural Appreciation Week event will take place Monday, October 24-Friday, October 28. A Berkshire County Probation employee first introduced the idea to host a food drive several years ago during the height of the Pandemic and Trial Court employees statewide followed suit by launching food drives. Now, nearly all of the 105 courthouses and 19 Community Justice Support Centers conduct food drives during Cultural Appreciation Week. Last year, more than six tons of food was collected at courthouses and court offices across the Commonwealth.

"Working with our community partners is paramount when enhancing education and understanding within these 15 communities. This probation office is proud to continue leading these efforts during the Trial Court Cultural Appreciation Week,” said Southern Berkshire Chief Probation Officer Alf Barbalunga.

Assistant Chief Clifford Flynn affirmed, "I believe helping to address food insecurities is one of many obligations that we are tasked with in order to aid our communities."

According to Feeding America, hunger rose in the Berkshires by 153 percent during the Pandemic, which is above the national average of 146 percent. Food insecurity is an issue that is impacting individuals and families throughout the state and across the country. In 2020 in Massachusetts, an estimated one in eight Americans were food insecure which equates to 38 million Americans, including almost 12 million children, according to Feeding America. Food insecurity is defined by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) as "a lack of consistent access to enough food for an active healthy life." The Greater Boston Food Bank recently released a report which "estimates that 32 percent or 1.8 million adults in the state experienced food insecurity." The report also showed that food pantry use among food-insecure adults increased from one in three in 2021 to one in two in early 2022.

Southern Berkshire District is collecting all non-perishable items which will be donated to The People’s Pantry in Great Barrington.

Southern Berkshire District Court is one of 62 District Courts across the state which handles criminal, civil, and mental health-related cases.