Belmont Food Pantry On the Move

The Belmont Food Pantry, the town's dispensary of food aid to residents in need, is relocating back to its former home behind Belmont High School.

But the town isn't kicking out the long-time provider of emergency food aid from the former Municipal Light Department building across Concord Avenue from Town Hall and adjacent the Belmont Police Station.

"It is definitely a good thing that we are moving back to the High School," said Pantry Director Patty Mihelich of the move taking place this Saturday, Sept. 29.

The doors open for the first time at the new location on Saturday, Oct. 6. The pantry was forced to move from the High School location in 2009 when the building it was located was taken over by the Wellington Elementary School when it was forced to relocated during the building of the new Wellington School.

Unlike the current location in the long-empty Light building, the modular structure – located between the commuter rail tracks and the back of the school – has electricity, heat and a bathroom which will improve the conditions for both volunteers and those seeking emergency food stuffs, said Mihelich.

The move – being assisted by the Belmont High School cheerleaders and local scouting troops – is made all the easier by the unfortunate fact that the pantry's shelves are nearly empty. 

"I really have no food here," said Mihelich. She is hoping that two days after the official opening, the pantry will be brimming with food after Belmont Serves, the annual day of service in which nearly 1,500 grocery bags of groceries and sundries arrived to the pantry last year.

Celebrating 20 years serving Belmont residents – it opened in Dec. 1992 – the non-profit serves Belmont residents who have trouble stretching their food dollar.

The pantry is open on the first and third Saturday from 8:30 a.m to 9:30 a.m. and the second and fourth Tuesday from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. You can contact the pantry at its website.