June 22, 2017

Good afternoon, everybody – yesterday we served a total of 24 families, including 39 adults, 39 children and 6 seniors.

Our clients were happy that the CSA has started again, and we’ll have fresh produce for them every week.  This coming Wednesday we’ll have lettuce, tomatoes, radishes, onions. cilantro, purslane and strawberries.

A volunteer who cares very much for the pantry came up to me at the CSA and told me she had brought two bags of shelf-stable food for the pantry to give to me while we were at the CSA.  She had tried a couple of times to leave food for the pantry and the church was closed and locked, so she thought this would be a good solution.  And she said she’ll be bringing more food for the pantry on Sunday mornings.  Thanks so much to this volunteer and to anybody else who would like to bring food to us while we’re at the CSA on Sunday mornings.

We’ve received three donations from the Share Your Wish organization recently.  It’s an organization based in Irvington that encourages families who are having a birthday party for their children to suggest that  people make a donation to a charity instead of bringing a gift for the birthday child.  And, of course, the child must agree, too.  Three children – one five-year-old, one six-year-old and one nine-year-old – have agreed for guests to donate to us instead of bringing a gift.  Pretty impressive!  Thanks so much to the Schleifer family for creating the Share Your Wish organization.

Yesterday we were joined again by Giuliana Urrelo, representing the Westchester Hispanic Coalition.  She’s coming back next month with an attorney affiliated with WHC to answer any questions people have about immigration concerns.

And the Food Bank for Westchester is sponsoring a workshop, led by the Catholic Charities agency, entitled “Know Your Rights”, which will address the same thing.

While Giuliana was with us she talked over the phone to one of our clients who needs to move to a larger apartment.  The Westchester Hispanic Coalition, in addition to everything else, offers listings of available apartments and job openings.