Number of Families Using the Watertown Food Pantry is Growing Sharply

The has been busy since the economy downturn began, but director Alfredo Bartolozzi said the need seems to increase every week.

In 2009, the pantry, which operates out of the basement of , served 346 families, but more and more have been seeking help, Bartolozzi said.

“As the economy gets worse, we get more and more people come to get groceries,” Bartolozzi said. “We’ve seen six new families a month, and Thursday I signed up three new families.”

On average, the pantry sees 160 families a month, and families can only come in once a month. They can also visit the St. Vincent de Paul at St. Patrick’s Church, Bartolozzi said.

Signs of the economy improving for these families do not look good.

“Some people getting food stamps have had them eliminated,” Bartolozzi said. “And people trying to sign up for food stamps are not getting them”

The pantry falls under Watertown's Council on Aging, but it relies on donations of food and money to operate. Recently, the food pantry put out a to handle the new families.

“We got good response when we put word out,” Bartolozzi said. “We can always use more. So many people are visiting us.”

For more information: Watertown Food Pantry, 617-972-6429, St. John's Church, 80 Mt. Auburn St. and St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry, 26 Chestnut St., St. Patrick's Church, 617-926-7121.