Gluten-Free: Food Insecurity & Pierce's Pantry

In honor of Celiac Awareness Month, this week's post is about food insecurity.

From the UN's Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA): "Food insecurity exists when people do not have adequate physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food which meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life."  As of the 2011 Project Bread Status Report on Hunger over 700,000 people in Massachusetts -- or 10.8% of the population -- are at risk and "food insecurity rates [are] projected to hit unprecedented levels" including for families "who have longer considered themselves middle-class [that] are suddenly unable to purchase enough food."

Normal food pantry offerings.
GF people can't eat 99% of what's in this box.

While food insecurity is a big deal for anyone faced with it, it is a huge disaster for those of us who have to be gluten-free.  There is no provision in the SNAP aka "food stamps" program for those with dietary restrictions to obtain additional funds in order to buy the more expensive food (costing over 200% more than glutenous food) necessary.  A gluten-intolerant person or celiac can't eat the majority of the food provided by a regular food pantry, if any at all.

Enter Pierce's Pantry.  While a junior at Wayland High School, Pierce Keegan participated in the Project Bread Walk for Hunger.  A diagnosed celiac since 2001 at the age of 11, he began to think about about where someone like him would be able to get food if they or their families were at risk of going hungry.  He discovered that there were no options beyond having to make a risky & unhealthy decision; as a result, the Pierce's Pantry gluten-free food bank was born, supplying gluten-free food to those with a signed letter from their doctor or nutritionist through participating local food pantries via corporate sponsors and individual donations.  Piece is now 21 and along with the rest of his family is still actively involved in his organizational namesake run by his mother Tracey.

Pierce & Kathy Casaletto, Director of Acton Community Supper

Massachusetts food pantries currently partnering with Pierce's Pantry are the Abington Food Pantry at St.Vincent de Paul, Acton Community Supper, Ashland Community Center (town residents only), Norwood Food Pantry, Parmenter Food Pantry in Wayland (town residents only), St. Paul's Outreach in Worcester and Wellesley Food Panty at the Wellesley Hills Congregational Church.  Acton Community Supper deserves special mention here.  While they normally only serve Acton & contiguous communities, they are the only ones provide gluten-free food to anyone who can get there as long as the appropriate proof of medical need is supplied.  They also serve as the area distribution center of gluten-free food for other local pantries and are the sole supply for an emergency bag of gluten-free food to those in immediate need.

For those who cannot get to a participating food pantry, email Pierce's Pantry and they will help.  Obviously -- and very sadly -- there are large gaps within Massachusetts where there is not gluten-free food available and where the travel distance to Acton would be prohibitive, including much of central & all of western Massachusetts.  Please email them if you know of a food pantry in your area that you would like to stock gluten-free food or that you know would carry it.

Individual food donations.

Individuals can donate via their website or by check, join the Virtual GF Food Drive, ask the stores in which you buy gluten-free food to accept food donations, volunteer or even start a gluten-free food pantry in their area.  Piece's Pantry is also always seeking new corporate sponsors; this includes the donation of funds towards purchase of food, distribution to area food pantries or those who can't leave their homes, community outreach & administration costs or direct donations of gluten-free products from the companies who make them or the supermarkets who sell them.  Please send Pierce's Pantry a sponsorship email if you or anyone you know can help in this way.

On that note, this post begins a regular series I'll be doing on the gluten-free products of the manufacturers who are currently sponsors of Pierce's Pantry.  These will primarily be on the individual products that I have personally received as a result of being a Pierce's Pantry client obtaining gluten-free food for myself and my daughter from Acton Community Supper (a shout-out to my favorite volunteer, Tina).  I am not ashamed to admit that I would be going hungry if not for the outstanding work of Pierce Keegan and the rest of the Keegan family.  I aim to give back as much as I can in any way that I can; the very least I feel I can do is spotlight them and the socially responsible companies who sponsor them in my role on Mass Bytes as gluten-free blogger.

GF shelves in Acton.  A lifesaver for many.

Please check back every Thursday to read more about these amazing companies and Pierce's Pantry!