We run a series of soup kitchen services at our Old Ferry Road facility to support families in Lowell on the 1st and 3rd Saturday of each month. We have served more than 2,500 meals since beginning this program two years ago.
Every November, we put together Thanksgiving baskets and donate them to families in the Merrimack Valley. To date, we have supported more than 215 families with these donations.
The Daybreak Shelter provides a range of services to those struggling with substance abuse, homelessness, and opiate addiction, including educational help, mental health counseling, and emergency shelter.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Shelter was forced to operate at a lower capacity while demand for its services remained high. It reached out to us because it was running low on supplies.
We provided 3-6 months worth of hygiene products, toiletries, water bottles, backpacks, water filtration systems, and groceries to the shelter. While this was a one-time project, we are considering making our support more regular since there is an ongoing need.
We also worked with the Middlesex Human Services Agency (MHSA) to help children living in shelters adjust and adapt to virtual learning. They reached out to us and requested school supplies, from pencils and notebooks to wireless mice and headsets. We assembled “Education Kits” for 120 children and delivered them to the MHSA. We also supplied them with breakfast cereal boxes.
We work with a local farm to weed, seed, plant, and grow fresh fruits and vegetables for those who are dealing with food insecurity and hunger in Worcester County, MA.
We are working with a church in Norwood to support forest gardening efforts. These urban forests, comprised of edible plants, mimic the ecosystem that is normally found at the edge of a natural forest. So far, we have planted two pear trees and six raspberry bushes, though we hope to plant some more in the summer.
We have been working with the Lowell General Hospital’s Social Work Department to support cancer patients in the Lowell area. The hospital provided us the names of families that, due to financial circumstances, don’t have enough money for groceries every month.
Our volunteers work with these families to create a grocery list and buy and deliver groceries to them. We are currently supporting 12-14 families every month and plan to expand the program to neighboring hospitals.
In Lowell, MA, food insecurity continues to challenge many families. A study in 2022 revealed that 40% of residents in Lowell cannot afford the food they need. Many are not enrolled in food assistance programs. Families, especially in Asian and Hispanic communities, face hard choices between food and other necessities.
In its midst, the Food Pantry Project, the initiative of the LASA Foundation, stands as a beacon of compassion, bringing together a community of volunteers dedicated to a mission that is simple and profound – to alleviate food insecurity and provide nourishment with respect and care, fostering a sense of dignity and empowerment for those it serves. LASA volunteers work tirelessly to offer nutritious provisions through a variety of means.
Our facility in Lowell has enough land behind it that we have been growing vegetables in our community garden for the past two years.
Our volunteers worked to build 12 raised beds to upgrade the irrigation system to produce more crops with less water.
Throughout the summer, volunteers students, and families in need collaborated on this project, helping promote a shared sense of community. It serves as a source of inspiration for future endeavors aimed at tackling food insecurity in Lowell.
Last year, we harvested over 650 lbs of produce, which we used in both the food pantry project and in soup kitchen meal preparation.
On a typical day, there are about 80 to 100 guests at a local soup kitchen. It usually provides 3-5 meals a week. We have been cooking and serving healthy, vegetarian lunches twice a month at Haley House since 1998.
Outside of food, there is a lot of demand for groceries, clothing, and sanitary products, which we have donated to them. During the coronavirus pandemic, we have continued to support them by cooking and delivering meals.
We donated 96 unopened dried spice and herb containers to food pantries in Boston. We believe that spices help families cook creative and nutritious dishes, but more importantly, help them maintain their cultural identity and traditions.
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