In August 2025, the Bethel Area Food Shelf launched the BAFS Community Resilience Task Force through the Catalyst Cohort Grant from the VT Foodbank and Vital Communities Upper Valley Resilience Network. The Task Force brings neighbors together to explore the root causes of food insecurity—access to housing, healthcare, childcare, transportation, and jobs—and develop solutions that can make a real difference for community members struggling to meet their basic needs.

 

The Bethel Area Food Shelf has been part of our community for more than 40 years, serving the Bethel area, which includes the towns of Bethel, Barnard, Stockbridge, Rochester, and Pittsfield. For decades, we have helped neighbors through difficult times with the support of many dedicated volunteers.
 

During the pandemic, our current management team stepped up to help our community navigate an unprecedented crisis, believing that once it passed, the need would return to more familiar levels. While much has changed since then, one thing has not: the need for food assistance across our five towns remains high.
 

Over the past several years, we have worked hard to build better systems so we can respond more quickly, respectfully, and efficiently to those seeking help. Even so, demand continues to grow, and it has become clear that we need to pause and better understand what is truly happening in our community.
 

This past year, we decided to take a deeper look at the root causes of food insecurity in the Bethel area. There are many assumptions about why people need food support, but assumptions do not lead to solutions. Some neighbors may be facing challenges that are not visible or well understood, while others may be experiencing long-term pressures that food assistance alone cannot fix.
 

To help us learn more, we formed a community Task Force made up of people from across our five towns who care deeply about the well-being of our neighbors. The goal of this group is not to judge, but to listen, learn, and explore ways our community can respond more effectively and compassionately.
 

As part of this effort, we are launching a community needs survey. The survey will help us better understand what households in Bethel, Barnard, Stockbridge, Rochester, and Pittsfield are experiencing, where gaps may exist, and what kinds of support could make a real difference. The information gathered will guide our next steps and help us determine whether creating a community trust or similar shared resource could have a meaningful impact on reducing food insecurity over time.
 

We also want to be clear about funding. The money raised to support this work was raised specifically for this purpose and does not take away from the funds used to purchase food or operate the Food Shelf. Every dollar raised for food continues to go toward feeding our neighbors. This effort is an additional investment in understanding and addressing the underlying challenges our community faces.
 

We believe that lasting solutions come from trust, transparency, and working together across town lines. You can be part of this effort in two important ways. We invite you to take the community needs survey and share your perspective, whether or not you have ever used the Food Shelf. We also warmly encourage you to join us at our Warm Up With Neighbor events coming up this winter. These gatherings are opportunities to connect, listen, and have meaningful community conversations about how we can support one another. The dates for dinners are January 21, February 18 and March 18.
 

By listening to one another and grounding our decisions in real community input, we hope to bend the curve of food insecurity and build a stronger, healthier Bethel area for everyone.
 

Thank you for being part of this community and for your continued care and support. We look forward to learning together and moving forward with purpose.