Texas resident Nathaniel Whittle graduated with a bachelor’s degree in economics from the esteemed Williams College in Williamson, Massachusetts. While attending his bachelor’s program, Nathaniel Whittle volunteered for the Berkshire Food Project (BFP), an organization that serves healthy meals to the needy. Established in the mid-1980s, the BFP was created because of the increasing food insecurity in the area. Students from Williams College, with the support of area residents, opened the food kitchen that started serving lunch to North Adams residents who had a need, and at some point, the project took off and was able to secure funding through Williams College allowing them to serve meals twice a week. As an incentive, Williams College students were encouraged to forgo meat once month, and in return, College Dining Services gave one dollar to the BFP per student. The reason that the students established the program grew from the town transitioning from an industrial economy to service economy. For example, giant General Electric employed between 11,000 and 12,000 people in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s, but today, they employ no one. This type of reduction in employment can have serious consequences on an economy. In the case of Berkshire, this shift left local residents unemployed or underemployed, and if they were employed, they were paid minimum wage. Since 1986, the outfit has grown to serve more than 35,900 meals in 2018, which include dine-in, take-in, and emergency pantry items. Local businesses such as Caretake Farm and the Western Massachusetts Food Bank donate food with the rest being purchased from wholesale stores, local supermarkets, and retail providers. via WordPress https://ift.tt/391R6LO
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