ATHOL – Starting from a closet with basic items to opening a grocery store-style food pantry; the Athol Area YMCA is growing its reach to help the community at a time when the need is high.

“We’re pulling in 10-30 new people per week….” said Laurie Saisa, child care service director and food pantry director for the Athol YMCA. “If you have a hardship, or you’re down on money, this doesn’t go off of income. Anybody can come in, no questions asked.”

In August, the YMCA opened the doors to a new, larger food pantry. The new space provides approximately 1,100 square feet for freezers, refrigerators and shelving. When it was at the community center, the pantry only had 400 square feet in which to operate.

The Athol YMCA’s food pantry has patrons from Athol, Orange, Royalston, New Salem, Gardner, Northfield, Petersham and Templeton. Recent cuts to SNAP benefits and rising fuel and housing costs are cited as reasons for the recent uptick in demand.

“As benefits get cut, demand for food pantries rises,” said Saisa.

In September the food pantry gave out 3,000 pounds of food to 462 patrons. Halfway through October, the pantry had already reached that number and demand is on pace to double from last month. In comparison, in June 2026, the pantry distributed 450-500 pounds of food a month to 74 recipients.

The food pantry has an application form which asks if the applicant is already receiving services, such as WIC and SNAP. In order to receive USDA supplies like soup, juice, fruit, and protein products, there is a separate form that asks for financial disclosure, all of which can be gone over in person at the Athol YMCA Welcome Center.

“We’ve had people walk in the door and cry and thank us, saying they didn’t know where else to go,” Saisa said. “We help everybody, no one is turned away.”

Some of the most in demand items are eggs, milk, bread, and personal hygiene items, as well as can openers and sponges. The food pantry relies on financial donations to purchase milk and bread, as those are typically not received via donations.

One of the reasons the pantry has kept up with the demand is its recent acceptance into the Worcester County Food Bank. The Athol YMCA food pantry will receive anywhere from 2,500 – 4,000 pounds of food weekly from this new partnership, which has provided access to meat, yogurt, cheese, vegetables and fresh produce.

Saisa listed a few other factors that have helped the pantry keep up with the rising demand – community connections and people stepping up in various ways. She said that Shirley Mitchell, the family and community center director for the Athol-Royalston Regional School District, helps organize food calls and has been helpful in identifying needs for the community.

“She’s been a rock star for us,” said Saisa.

The United Way of North Central Massachusetts has been a longtime partner with the Athol YMCA. The United Way recently received 40,000 pounds of food that will go out to the surrounding communities, including the Athol YMCA.

The Worcester County Sheriff’s Office has an organic farm rehabilitation program that works towards addressing food insecurity and supporting local families. The farm is based out of the Worcester County Jail and House of Corrections in West Boylston and produces approximately 40,000 pounds of fresh produce annually. Among its stops throughout Worcester County, the WCSO Community Outreach teams visited the Athol Area YMCA and Athol Salvation Army.

“Every delivery represents fresh produce going directly to an organization serving people in our county,” said Worcester County Sheriff Lew Evangelidis in a statement. “At the same time, participating inmates experience the dignity of a full day’s work and the satisfaction of knowing their efforts are helping the same communities many of them call home. The rehabilitative value of this program is tremendous.”

With the rise in supply and demand, the food pantry organizers are seeking to increase the hours of operation to evenings or weekends, depending on if they can hire an appropriate enough amount of staff.

The Athol YMCA food pantry is located at 488 Main St., in Athol. For more information, call 978-249-3305 or visit ymcaathol.org.