20.018 An Order to Appropriate 25,000 in Whiting Street Trust FundsCity of Northampton
MASSACHUSETTS
_________
In City Council February 6, 2020
Upon recommendation of the Mayor and the Whiting Street Fund Committee
20.018 An Order to Appropriate $25,000 in Whiting Street Trust Funds
Whereas, Mr. Whiting Street, a successful Northampton business man, left $25,000 to the City
of Northampton in his will of 1875 with instructions that the money be used “for the relief and
comfort of the worthy poor”,
Whereas, the Whiting Street Fund Committee, which was created by Administrative Order,
issued its third annual grant application seeking proposals from local organizations with the goal
of helping low-income persons in our community and with a specific focus on helping resolve
food insecurity issues in the community;
Whereas, the Whiting Street Fund Committee received and reviewed the applications and has
made its recommendations to the Mayor;
Ordered, that
$25,000 be appropriated from the interest in the Whiting Street Trust Fund to the following
organizations:
$10,000 to Abundance Farm to support their Pick-Your-Own Initiative in which food
insecure residents can actively participate in the life of the Farm by harvesting free, organically
grown fruits and vegetables. This program is conducted in collaboration with the Northampton
Survival Center and continued funding will support staff needed for the larger programing and
ongoing outreach to include planting workshops, cooking demonstrations, and printed
educational information in multiple languages. Abundance Farm is located on the site of the
Northampton’s Alms House and adjoining Poor Farm which, from 1800 – 1950, served as a
critical refuge for Northampton residents in need of shelter, food and other services.
$5,000 to the Northampton Survival Center to support their Fresh First Program which
provides an incentive for clients to come to the Center every week for fresh vegetables, fruits and
bread. The Fresh First Program focuses on improving access to fresh produce, collaborating
with local farmers, and providing healthy recipes to use local produce. The Northampton
Survival Center is in its forty-first year of operation as an emergency food pantry.
$5,000 to Grow Food Northampton, Inc. to support their Incentive based Food Access
initiatives to provide more affordable locally grown, healthy food for low-income residents. The
funding will help support SNAP Share, Tuesday Market SNAP Matching and the Neighborhood
Markets Program bringing affordable farm stand food to various locations including the Senior
Center, three housing communities, and three elementary schools.
$5,000 to Salvation Army’s Northampton Service Unit to support emergency based food
needs. The local unit provides food vouchers for local grocery stores, food bags, and disaster
support in conjunction with other local service agencies. They provide “last resort” resources for
those who may not qualify for other types of assistance. The Salvation Army has worked in
Northampton for over 60 years and has been in existence since 1865 meeting basic human needs.