NORWICH – Last year, over 79,000 pounds of food – with a value of over $75,000 – was distributed by God’s Provision Food Pantry at the New Beginnings Church. On Friday, the organization will hold its first food distribution of 2011, from 5 to 7 p.m. at its 15 Silver St. location.

Pantry Coordinator Anne Walters said the organization was informed years ago by the Food Bank of Central New York that mass food distributions were one of the most effective ways of getting food to those in need. With the recent recession, the number of families seeking extra help has only increased, she added.

“We’ve hosted mass food distributions for over 12 years now, holding four to six of them throughout the year,” said Walters. “Due to the extremely bad economy, we made a commitment a year ago to the community to hold distributions every month.”

In the last year, Walters said she’d seen growing numbers of people who’ve never had to rely on food pantries for assistance before – from laid-off professionals to two-income households that have lost one income and been unable to replace it.