A Pittsfield nonprofit moved its food pantry this month into a new space where they not only distribute food, but also hold classes and meetings.
The nonprofit Roots & Dreams and Mustard Seeds purchased a stretch of storefronts on Fenn Street that include a fried chicken restaurant, an old bar, a closed soft-serve stand and a former church.
The group's food pantry, Mercado de Vida, moved into the space where the church used to be in early February. Three hundred families a month get food there.
"We put everything on shelves or in refrigerators or freezers, and everybody can take what they want with no limits," said Michael Hitchcock, the nonprofit's co-founder and co-director.
"We don't like to make any kind of limits because we don't know the condition that people are coming from," he said. "If they take like four frozen chickens, we assume they need four and we don't question it."
The nonprofit's overall mission is "working class empowerment," Hitchcock said. Addressing food security is part of that, he added.
Dance and music classes for children are held in the same space as the pantry when it isn't open, along with classes in developing co-operative businesses. The nonprofit plans to hold an English and Spanish language class there. In addition, an immigration attorney recently held a free legal clinic.
The nonprofit purchased three of the store fronts and an apartment for $230,000 in 2021 with funding from a private donor. Another two store fronts, including a former King Kone ice cream stand were purchased this fall for $170,000 with a grant from Mass Development'sTransformative Development Institute.
The nonprofit also has a community garden, Madre Jardin, which grows produce for the pantry. Food for the pantry comes from various sources including some purchased from local farms.
The Berkshire Community Action Council lends the nonprofit a truck to pick up food. When it's not available, Hitchcock pays for a truck rental himself.
Hitchcock said his group is investigating grants for converting part of one storefront into a community kitchen for more than a dozen chefs who are looking for a place to develop food businesses. He sees that project as part of a bigger goal of helping people gain more control over their food supply.
