A student-run nonprofit at Lexington High School has donated more than 5,000 grocery bags to the Lexington Interfaith Food Pantry, turning surplus bags most people would toss into something families actually need to carry food home.
Carry It Forward collects clean reusable and paper bags from the community, sorts and prepares them, then delivers them directly to the pantry, which hands out hundreds of bags every week. LHS student Vyushti Khetan, who wrote the group's milestone announcement, said the whole thing started with a simple frustration. "We started our organization out of a collective distaste for throwing away perfectly useful paper bags we did not intend to use again," Khetan wrote. "Through experiences at the Lexington Food Pantry, we found a purpose for these bags."
The Lexington Interfaith Food Pantry, an all-volunteer nonprofit, has served local families for 35 years, operating Saturday mornings from 9:30 to noon at the Church of Our Redeemer. Its steady weekly distribution creates equally steady demand for something as simple as a sturdy bag — exactly the gap Carry It Forward set out to fill.
The group is now aiming to collect about 900 bags a week and is actively looking for new collection sites and volunteers. Businesses, schools, libraries and other organizations interested in hosting a donation bin can find details through The Lexington Observer's community page.
Where to drop off bags:
- Hayden Recreation Centre
- Lexington Community Center
- Stop & Shop, Lexington
- Stop & Shop, Bedford
- Stop & Shop, Arlington
- Lexington High School
The Lexington Interfaith Food Pantry accepts food and monetary donations year-round, with drop-off available at the Church of Our Redeemer, 6 Meriam St., and at Stop & Shop, 36 Bedford St., during store hours. The pantry itself is open Saturdays, 9:30 a.m. to noon.
