Fallen Heroes jump to help food pantry

A Dorchester food pantry feeding Bostonians hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic saw cash donations increase by more than $1,500 this week, but they’re still overwhelmed by hungry locals.

Elizabeth Caisey, who runs the Codman Squarebased food pantry at the Community Corner, said she was “inspired” by the extra money drummed up by the Massachusetts Fallen Heroes, a local organization compromised of veterans, Gold Star families, police officers, and firefighters.

“Just being able to have those meals available for residents means the world to volunteers,” Caisey told the Herald.

The donations came through after the Herald initially reported on the food pantry’s mission. The food pantry was founded in 2018, and has seen demand for meal kits jump by more than ten-fold since the COVID-19 pandemic locked down the city.

The Community Corner fed 80 people Thursday, one day after the Herald’s story published, but the number of hungry Bostonians continues to rise.

“We ran out of everything around 1:30 — we had nothing left. People are grateful that they can come by, and get food, but more people kept coming by,” she said.

Mass Fallen Heroes has taken on the pantry as a grassroots mission to help the neighborhood, which is home to many former and current service members. But they can’t support the center alone.

“Sometimes, the more you beat the drum, the more people react,” said Mass Fallen Heroes Executive Director Dan Magoon. “We need someone to follow our lead and do this same thing, if not do more.”

Magoon said he went back to the board of directors and local veterans earlier this week to collect more donations, but he’s also focused on finding community partnerships. Local grocers, restaurants, and businesses could make a big difference in the center’s efforts to feed their hungry neighbors during the crisis.

Late Friday afternoon, a Herald reader also donated a large amount of food to the pantry.

“It’s so great, it’s amazing,” Caisey said.

“We can get more people to step up,” Magoon said. “I wish I had the bandwidth to do more. We’re just relying on veterans and families right now — they’re the ones who are doing it.”

“The need is there,” Caisey said.

Individuals can make a donation to the Community Corner’s food pantry at https://www.tcbinc.org / donate. Donations classified under “food pantry” will go directly towards feeding Dorchester residents. Businesses wishing to partner with the food pantry can connect with the team at communitycorner282@ gmail.com.