Whately Giving Garden Committee unanimously approves dispensary food drive partnership

Other Committee · Meeting of March 12, 2026

Whately's Giving Garden Committee voted unanimously to partner with the Cheech and Chong dispensary on a recurring community food drive. Social impact coordinator Lynette, appearing before the committee at its March 12 meeting, described a model her company piloted at its Northampton store that collected 191 pounds of non-perishable food in three days; she said Whately residents and partnering businesses would receive dispensary redemption tickets in exchange for food donations, with drives running two to four times a year. Lynette told the committee, "You guys seem to be the only ones that were doing a pantry in the area, trying to give back to the community." The committee also voted unanimously to adopt the tagline "Plant a seed, grow our community" and set an approximate April 17 deadline for residents to sign up for garden bed lottery spots before construction begins.

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Source: the Other Committee meeting of March 12, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.