How underwear and socks help us feed people

Underwear and socks are the never-exciting practical gift grandparents love to put under the Christmas tree. But are they so practical they can even help feed people? 

They can – and do. 

The advice to “network, network, network” when searching for a job is the same strategy we use to find homes in the community for unwanted or overstock non-food goods when they’re offered to us by one of our key partners. 

Here’s how it happens.

A Close Partner

Provision Ministry, a large nonprofit organization based in Westborough, Mass., acts as a sort of middleman in a regional network. 

Each Thursday Provision delivers about $20,000 worth of baked goods and snacks right to our warehouse loading dock. This is food they procure directly from companies like Snyder’s of Hanover, Walmart and Bimbo Bakeries in Millbury, Mass., which distributes Entenmann’s baked goods, Thomas’ English muffins and bagels and Sara Lee.The Pantry uses these donations to help fill our online client orders, as well as for boxes that are distributed each Wednesday at the Knights of Columbus drive-through pickup in Walpole. 

When more baked goods arrive from Provision than the Pantry can distribute to our own clients in a given week, those get redirected to other pantries or nonprofits that are more than happy to take them.   

But Provision deals in more than food. That’s where the underwear and socks come in.

Leveraging Relationships

Provision connects both food and goods donated from major companies with smaller nonprofits that can benefit directly or help get the extra items to people that can use them. 

So when Provision called recently and said they had eight pallets of underwear they needed to find a home for, the wheels started turning in Pantry Executive Director Bill Willoth’s head. 

Who could use 4,500 pairs of underwear?  

Another day we might be offered flip-flops, socks or sweatpants. Provision calls and asks if the Pantry is interested. These are items that might otherwise go to waste, but could help folks if they get to the right church or organization. 

At that point, we work the phones with our own downstream contacts to see how quickly the goods can get in the hands of people who can benefit. It has to happen quickly, before they take up too much space in the Pantry’s warehouse, which is at a premium. 

“I usually say yes, and then we take it and I find a home for it,” Bill said.

That flexibility has nurtured our relationship with Provision, which in turn drives our core mission to secure high-quality food to feed people. 

“The relationship is stronger now because they know they can come to me with other items,” Bill said.

Goods Added to Orders

While most non-food goods we receive get redirected to charities that can also distribute them, our first thought is always what can be used by our Walpole clients. 

10-pair packs of Bombas socks, which we have received more than once, have been a hit with residents living in Walpole Housing Authority apartments, clients who regularly participate in our online food orders. Another time it was a batch of winter coats. 

Items like these can be added to our online inventory and made available for clients to select when they place their weekly food orders. 

Donut Day Dilemma

Sometimes, the process works in reverse. 

In June, the Pantry received a call from the Salvation Army headquarters in Westwood, wondering if we knew where they could procure a large quantity of donuts they needed to serve to first responders to celebrate National Donut Day.

Bill’s call to Deb Temple, the regular driver for Provision, was the answer. She requested “a favor” from the donation coordinator at Bimbo Bakeries, who promised to try to fulfill the donut request for the event. 

They came through. Two weeks later, the Pantry delivered 230 dozen donuts to the Salvation Army.  

As a result, “Now we have a new partner” with the Salvation Army, Bill said.

And those boxes containing 4,500 pairs of underwear? They all found a new home, too. 

The goal is simple: make sure good food and useful items reach people who need them. Sometimes that means distributing bread, muffins and snacks. Other times it means finding a home for socks, coats or underwear. 

Either way, it is all part of helping our community, making sure nothing goes to waste. 

10-packs of Bombas socks waiting in our warehouse for a new home