Two drives to support food pantries scheduled this week

LACONIA — A respite from city council politics came by way of a citizen suggestion on Monday night: why not collect donations for food pantries at the polls? 

As of Tuesday afternoon, there are two food drives and fundraising efforts planned in the city this week.

City resident and poll worker Kelly Dionne told councilors at their meeting on Monday night she’d recently learned of the City of Concord collecting food donations at polling stations during their Municipal Election, and suggested the City of Laconia consider doing the same.

“I read in the Concord Monitor, the weekend prior to elections, that Concord was placing collection bins at their polling spots to collect food. I’d like to see that instituted in Laconia going forward,” Dionne said.

“I think once it's started, people would jump on board: you come to vote, you put something in the bin,” she said. “I don’t have the details, the first thing we have to do is to get you folks on board [so] that at polling places, we can collect food items.”

Mayor Charlie St. Clair said the city clerk’s employees are busy on Election Day, and wondered if another arrangement could be made.

“Let’s see if we can do it,” Dionne said. “If St. Vincent de Paul or the [Congregational Church] would like to do a drive through the city toward the end of the day — why aren’t we doing it?”

Ward 2 Councilor Bob Soucy asked Patrick Wood of the Human Relations Committee if he would work with Dionne to contact social services organizations ahead of the homelessness forum at the auditorium at Laconia High School at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 12, to set up collections there.

“I think if we start it and just have it going forward, people will bring something when they come to vote,” Dionne said.

While it's yet to be seen if the city will organize a food drive effort at the polls the next time around, there will be donations taken at the high school during the event Wednesday night.

Wood said Tuesday morning he’s working out the details with local service organizations and isn’t sure exactly what shape an effort will take, but one thing is clear: they’ll have an opportunity for giving available at the high school on Wednesday night.

He’d like to set up tables, manned by volunteers with the Human Relations Committee, which has in large part organized the forum, in order to take donations to organizations across the various wards in the city. He was busy Tuesday speaking with councilors to get their recommendations for services located in their wards.

“There will be something,” he said.

The Human Relations Committee is hosting a homelessness forum in the high school auditorium from 7 to 9:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 12. The event will be recorded by Lakes Region Public Access, and will include a panel of police officers, firefighters, and city councilors plus representatives of the Laconia Housing Authority, Lakes Regional Mental Health Center or Navigating Recovery, County Commissioner Peter Spanos and other community members.

Those attending in the audience will have opportunities for questions and answers.

Another food drive is scheduled for noon to 2 p.m. at the parking lot at City Hall on Saturday.

“I’ve been really concerned with my neighbors going without food,” Doreen Plimpton said on Tuesday. She’s involved with organizing the food drive, which is being planned by the Belknap County Democrats. They’ll also have a rally there.

They’re working with Restoration Acres Farm, St. Vincent de Paul and The Salvation Army to collect food donations. Anything extra will be taken to the Concord food bank. They’re also accepting cash and check donations, which should be made out to each organization directly.