ATHOL — While not completely bereft of cans and boxes of non-perishable food items, the shelves at the Athol High School Food Pantry are looking a little sparse.

Shirley Mitchell, director of the Family & Community Center and Food Pantry at Athol High School, told the Athol Daily News on Friday that the demand for food and services has grown steadily since the facility first opened its doors in September of 2021.

“On Tuesday afternoon,” Mitchell related, “we had somebody come in and they saw all of the stuff that we received from Worcester County [Food Bank]. They were like, ‘Oh, wow, you guys have a lot of stuff.’ I told them, ‘Come back Thursday morning and then you’ll see what happens once the pantry is open and how many people come through. So, yes, the shelves right now are nearly empty.”

Everyone is welcome to donate whatever they can to help struggling families in Athol and other North Quabbin communities. While non-perishable food items are important, during the holidays especially contributions of fresh produce like potatoes, carrots, onions, parsnips and other root vegetables are in particular demand for holiday meals. Mitchell said 106 families visited the center before Thanksgiving to get the items needed for a holiday meal.

“We got 100 pounds of potatoes and broke that down into smaller bags,” Mitchell recounted. “Families would get like 3 pounds of potatoes, approximately, and they were gone in the first 30 minutes.”

Donations can be made almost anytime during the week.

“I’m here until 4 p.m. just about every day,” said Mitchell, “and if I’m not here, someone on my staff is. If people call ahead, I can arrange to meet them here, which makes it a little easier than having to check in at the main office.”

In addition, the pantry is open every Wednesday from 2 to 4 p.m.

Mitchell said the center is currently getting “a lot of requests for hygiene products” and laundry soap. The Quabbin Pet Food Task Force “is now delivering to us every other week because we get a lot of requests for dog food, cat food. So, we’re helping everybody in the household.”

Mitchell said people who are seeking assistance don’t have to provide personal income information.

“We are open to the community,” Mitchell said. “I can’t imagine anyone who can afford to buy their own food is going to show up to stand in a long line to get something. I might ask if they are getting SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) or other benefits, just to get an idea of how great their need is, but pretty much everyone who asks gets help.”

The center, Mitchell continued, also handles requests for fuel assistance.

“Applying for fuel assistance is a process in itself. We’ll sit down with somebody, help them apply, contact fuel assistance; it can be a little bit of a wait.”

Fuel assistance is no longer provided through the New England Farm Workers’ Council, she said. Instead, it is now overseen by Fitchburg-based Making Opportunity Count, better known as the Montachusett Opportunity Council.

The center also provides translation services and has been helping local immigrants with the paperwork they need to submit to ensure that they and their families maintain their legal status.

“They’re not just Hispanic, but also Portuguese, Haitian-Creole and French,” Mitchell said. “It’s growing. Every year [the immigrant population] in North Quabbin gets bigger.”

Mitchell said her staff — Jessica Vargas, Erica Bueno and Natasha Castillo-Vargas — “are just tremendous. They’re constantly thinking and asking, ‘What else can we do? What can we do better?’”

On Wednesday, Dec. 18, the Community & Family Center and Food Pantry at Athol High School will hold an open house starting at 2 p.m. U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern, state Sen. Jo Comerford and state Rep. Susannah Whipps will be among those on hand to learn about all the center’s services.

“We’ll be talking about the pantry,” said Mitchell, “talking about the work, talking about what else we could do and where could funding come from. I know they’re busy, but we really wanted to touch base with them. We’ve been here for three years and the need gets bigger every year.”

For more information or to arrange a donation drop-off, contact Mitchell at 978-249-2435 or smitchell@arrsd.org.

Greg Vine can be reached at gvineadn@gmail.com.