The entrance to our Food Pantry

Food on our shelves ready to be given out to clients

Hi, I am Faith E. Rockwood, and I am President of the Board of Directors for The Franklin Area Survival Center (FASC).  FASC is a food pantry that is located in the small village of Turners Falls in the town of Montague in Massachusetts. 

FASC began on February 28, 1981 in Greenfield, MA (neighboring town) by Ester (Robichaud) Howe.  She felt that God told her that she needed to help feed people, and so she began the food pantry in the basement of her home. It soon became to big an operation so she opened in a store front. She filed for 501C3 status, moved to several different rental locations, but in 1990 our permanent location was purchased in Turners.  

A thrift store was opened in 1990 to help support the pantry and to pay the bills. In today's world we all know that you need money to survive, especially if you are a non-profit and a private one that receives no federal or state funding!  Three years ago, I asked the board to allow me to take some of the items of value and place them on Ebay for sale to help pay from some of the larger items FASC needed (i.e., new rubber roof, complete paint job, central air....). I have done pretty well, actually much better than I ever dreamed. Now people donate items they know I will sell on Ebay so that the center can purchase something special. We are now looking toward getting a walk-in cooler/freezer. 

We celebrated our 25th anniversary this year. The Honorable State Senator Stanley Rosenberg attended, even though he had to brave a snow storm to get here. Our "mother" Esther also came. I was honored to meet the woman who began it all. She never dreamed that her idea would still be growing and helping so many people (we average 9,000-10,000 annually)!

Our thrift store continues to grow, and believe it or not, all the items being sold are donated to us by members of our community. We recently purchased a box truck with a pull out ramp to help us be able to purchase larger quantities of food and to pick up donated furniture.

We only have three amazing employees (driver, two cashiers), all other personnel are volunteers (around 25-30 at all times).  Our volunteers are the life of FASC, without them we would not be able to continue out work. God Bless them all.