While none of us had the Thanksgiving we might have anticipated at the beginning of 2020, we did have a lot to be thankful for.   Read about our reasons to be thankful in our November newsletter.

At the BFP we were not able to sit down and break bread together in our dining room but we were able to provide the community with about 500 Thanksgiving meals- turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, turnips, squash, cranberry sauce and pie.  And we've been able to provide meals straight through the pandemic.  Over nine months ago, on March 13, 2020, we had our last meal served in our dining room.  Since that time there has been crisis and chaos and confusion - a pandemic of unprecedented impact in most of our lifetimes.  The BFP has managed not only to stay open, but to provide meals to all seeking them - our numbers doubled, practically tripled, eased back down to double... we've now served over 65,000 meals in 2020!  We are quite thankful for all of the support that has made that possible.  Whether you made a financial contribution, a food donation, shared the information so those in need could find us or volunteered - you've all made it possible for us to have the privilege to continue feeding our community throughout the pandemic.  THANK YOU.

Thank you for staying safe - that means staying home when you can, wearing masks and socially distancing when you have to go out.  It means not eating indoors with people you don't live with.  It means washing your hands a LOT.  It means being patient even though you are frustrated by the isolation.  Some day we will all gather at our table again, breaking bread as a community!  What a celebration that will be.  And we'll get there - we'll all get there if we stay safe, take precautions, weigh the risk of every interaction and make the best choices we can.

For us, at the Berkshire Food Project, we have realized that one way we can stay safe is by taking a quick break to recharge, rest and get ready for the months ahead.  And so, we are going to be CLOSED from Monday, December 7 - Friday, December 11.  This will give our staff the opportunity to safely head into the darkest days of winter with the energy it will take to meet the need for meals created by this pandemic.  We will be helping people prepare all week November 30 - December 4;  we've alerted our partners in the community as well.  This was a difficult decision to make but we've weighed the risks and decided this action will make the most sense in the long run.  

Thank you for giving us the opportunity to continue to serve our community. 

We know the holidays will be difficult and we look forward to making them a little easier with delicious meals for all.