Waltham food pantries

Our refrigerators are full year-round, our cupboards packed with treats. But for hundreds, maybe thousands, of our neighbors, hunger is not a stranger. Empty cupboards are a fact of life, one they can only hope will be temporary.

Meanwhile, the neediest among us depend on the generosity of others. They especially depend on the food pantries present in nearly every community. Those food pantries, in turn, depend on you to keep their shelves filled with non-perishable supplies.

Make a commitment to do your part to help feed the region's neediest families, not just during the holiday season, but year-round. Here's a list of food banks that can help translate your generous spirit into family nourishment:

COLLINS FAMILY FOOD PANTRY - operated by the Red Cross behind Red Cross offices at 867 Main St. every Thursday from 1 to 7 p.m. Call 781-642-7000 for more information.
GRANDMA'S PANTRY - operated out of Christ Church, 750 Main St., Waltham. For Waltham residents 60 years old or older on a fixed income. Open Fridays, 9 to 11 a.m. Food may be left at the church office; call ahead for hours (781-891-6012). Checks may be made out to ``Grandma's Pantry'' and sent to Christ Church.
SACRED HEART FOOD PANTRY - operated out of the Church Hall. Donors may leave food in the kitchen daily from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Call 781-899-0469 for more information.
KIDS F.E.A.S.T. - operated by the Salvation Army provides 55 children with a hot meal every day, and serves 300 families each month. Donors may leave non-perishable food at the office, 33 Myrtle St. Monday through Friday. Checks may be made out to the Salvation Army. Call 781-894-0413 for more information.
THE FOOD PANTRY AND SOUP KITCHEN - operated by the Immanuel United Methodist Church at 545 Moody St. is open Wednesday 9 to 11 a.m. Food donations accepted at the church entrance at the corner of Moody and Cherry streets from 2 to 6 p.m. Operated from the Methodist Church, 545 Moody St. under the direction of Dick Rogers of Middlesex Human Services. Rogers may be reached at
781-883-2050.