‘It’s inspirational to see people coming together’

LEOMINSTER » U. S. Rep. James P. McGovern joined local organizations to help distribute food packages to residents at Doyle Field on Friday, and also urged families to complete the census by the Oct. 31 deadline.

“Making sure people have access to good, nutritious food during this pandemic is a priority,” McGovern said. “We all have to come together and try to get through this. It helps a

lot of people and they’re very grateful.”

The distribution was part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farmers to Families program, providing fresh meat, produce and dairy products to families in need during the coronavirus pandemic.

In an effort to assist farms hit hardest by the coronavirus, the program purchases food from small and large food producers and hires distribution companies also hit economically by the pandemic to package and transport the food.

“This is a reminder of how important our farmers are as well,” McGovern said.

The event was made possible through a partnership between the Leominster Police Department, the Spanish American Center, Catholic Charities Worcester County and Longley Trucking.

“I’m really proud of this community for coming together like this,” McGovern said. “It’s inspirational to see people coming together and helping out during this crisis.”

Kelly Vallee, assistant to the chief of the Leominster Police Department, who helped organize the event, said about 500 boxes of food were provided by Clear Path for Veterans in Ayer. The organization received the food from the USDA’s program but had additional boxes to distrib

ute.

“These are perishable items and they didn’t want them to go to waste,” Vallee said. “Families are juggling a lot of different things right now… and we hope to get the food to the right people.”

McGovern’s office partnered with the U.S. Census Bureau to distribute fliers reminding families to complete the census during the event. There were also census enumerators present to assist residents interested in completing the census on site.

The bureau recently extended the deadline for this year’s census to Oct. 31.

McGovern said the census, which is conducted every decade, is critical for determining the amount of federal money allocated to municipalities for hospitals, fire departments, school lunch programs and other services.

“A lot of the money that comes to Leominster is formula based, it’s based on population,” McGovern said. “If people don’t respond to the census and we don’t count them, then less money comes to the city.”

‘I’m really proud of this community for coming together like this. It’s inspirational to see people coming together and helping out during this crisis.’

– Rep. James McGovern

As of Friday, the cumulative self-response rate for Massachusetts to the 2020 Census is 69.1%, compared to 67.7% nationally, and 72.7% in Leominster.

Leominster ranks 207 th

in overall self-response rates out of all cities and townships, of which there are 349 total.

McGovern said it was encouraging that so many people have responded to

the census, adding that he’s hopeful most individuals will respond by the deadline.

“I want to be sure that every single person is counted,” he said.

JOHN LOVE / SENTINEL & ENTERPRISE Rick Voutour, left, director of Veterans Services in Leominster, and U.S. Rep. James McGovern help distribute boxes of food to those in need on Friday at Doyle Field.

JOHN LOVE / SENTINEL & ENTERPRISE Leominster Police Patrolman Tony Eydenberg hands a box of food to Mike Longley Sr. with Longley Trucking & Excavation of Fitchburg as they distribute boxes of food to those in need on Friday.

JOHN LOVE / SENTINEL & ENTERPRISE Jennessa McQuade, an outreach clinician with the Leominster Police Department, helps check in a resident getting some boxes of food at the free distribution event.