The Community Cupboard's holiday rush

Food Programs Manager Rachel Bishop restocks potatoes, one of the many popular foods during the holidays in November and December. Starting the beginning of November, the Cupboard stocks holiday-specific foods for shoppers. They also buy enough turkeys, hams and chickens for each household to choose one a month for their holiday gatherings.

The holiday season at the Community Cupboard is busier than the rest of the year. This year MEND anticipates even more shoppers, due to the government shutdown that is affecting paychecks for many government workers and food and other assistance programs.

During the months of November and December, Cupboard staff trade out some of the regular staples to make room for holiday foods, including stuffing, canned pumpkin and cranberries. They also buy turkeys, chickens and hams—enough for every household to choose one or the other in both November and December.

“We’re busy year-round, but the holidays are just another level,” says Food Programs Manager Rachel Bishop. “It seems like every family that’s ever come to the Cupboard comes in November and December.”

The Cupboard uses a grocery store model, providing each household with a set number of points for the month that they can use to “purchase” food. The additional turkeys and hams don’t count toward the household’s monthly points limit—they are offered as an additional option on top of what families usually receive.

However, the influx of food causes some storage problems for Cupboard staff and volunteers.

“The operational logistics get a little bit more complicated during the holidays,” said Rachel. The Cupboard doesn’t have enough room to store a single order of turkeys and hams for all the households who visit the Cupboard.

Helping people gather around a full table

Despite the logistical issues, giving people the means to make a holiday meal is a priority for the Cupboard staff. Holidays can be hard for a lot of people, says Rachel. They want to spend time with friends and family, but may not have the money for additional holiday items.

“To be able to have the food to do that without having to spend a lot of extra money means a lot to people,” says Rachel.

Community support also tends to rise during the holiday season, with churches, community groups and individuals reaching out to see how they can help.

“The Community Cupboard doesn’t provide pre-made meals,” Rachel says, “But people can help by donating holiday foods.”

For a long time, the majority of community food drives for the Cupboard also happened within the November/December window. Now the food drives are interspersed more throughout the year, which has been helpful.

“With the growing monthly need we’ve experienced over the past several years, we’ve appreciated the year-round community support—both in terms of donations and food drives, says Rachel.

The best way to help is to either donate funds to help the Cupboard purchase the food they need or buy items for the Cupboard off their list of most needed items, which includes a section of holiday-specific foods.

In her time at the Cupboard, Rachel has noticed that gratitude is even easier to come by during the holiday season—including her own.

“I am incredibly grateful for the staff and volunteers that work hard to make the Community Cupboard feel welcoming during the holidays,” she says. “Everybody does such a great job!"