Visit The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts:
A Community-Based Educational Field Trip for Kids

The Food Bank Warehouse in Hatfield, MA.

The summer or fall is a great time to bring your children to visit The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, along with their friends, school groups or clubs to learn more about an organization that plays a BIG role in our communities.

There are 350 local organizations, including pantries, kitchens, shelters, youth programs, and senior centers, who rely on The Food Bank each week to provide groceries or meals to 15,000 residents in Berkshire, Franklin, Hampshire and Hampden county.  Nearly one out of every four kids in Western Massachusetts, under the age of 18, receives food from The Food Bank.  If you teach your kids about food systems, include emergency food and consider a field trip to The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts.

What happens on a field trip?

• Tour the warehouse, walk through the freezer, see the types of foods that are being sorted, and observe forklifts transporting pallets of food onto delivery trucks.   Play a trivia game following the tour to recall some of the key facts about how The Food Bank works.
• Participate in a facilitated activity to talk about what hunger can look like.  Where do we get our food from?  Where does it go to?  How many people struggle with affording groceries?  What are some of the ways everyone benefits from having a Food Bank?  Activities vary depending on the age of the group, from planning out a grocery store list given a limited amount of money, to reading a picture book, to answering true/false questions.  Check out the Youth Against Hunger Education Curriculum for more ideas.
• Put your knowledge into action! Help The Food Bank with an on-site project or brainstorm a community service idea that you can do as a family after your visit.

How do I schedule a date?

• The Food Bank is open Monday through Friday, 9-5pm.  Call ahead of time (413-247-9738 x114) to set up a day and time to visit.
• Tours work best with groups of 6-20 people, and typically last 1-2 hours.   They ask there be an adult for every 5-8 kids.
• The Food Bank is located at 97 North Hatfield Rd, exit 22 from 91N/ exit 23 from 91S.
• Please wear closed toe shoes or sneakers.
• For groups 16 and older, ask them about volunteering as part of your visit.