November 8, 2017

The holidays are right around the corner.  We were notified that Hudson Social, a popular restaurant near the Dobbs Ferry train station, is planning to do a food drive for us on November 18.  On that day everyone who comes to the restaurant is encouraged to bring some food for the pantry.  So plan to eat at Hudson Social that day and bring something for the pantry.  We’re glad to have a new friend in town.

We also got an e-mail from the Student Speech Language Hearing Association at Mercy College.  They’re also planning on doing a food drive for us some time over the holidays.  We’re always delighted to partner with Mercy.  In the case of both Hudson Social and Mercy I’ve sent a list of the foods that our clients ask for most often, including diapers and baby wipes.(they cost a fortune).

We’re continuing to receive whatever food the children leave behind at lunchtime at Springhurst.  We’ve received many apples, which go straight to the clients.  What a shame if that food had been wasted.

Spring Community Partners will be doing their fall clothing boutique at South Church this coming Saturday.  They collect clothing, particularly children’s clothing, all year, and offer it for free both in the spring and in the fall.  It’s so popular that they work for hours setting everything up and then the clothes are gone within about an hour.  The parents (plus ROBIN LARKINS) who volunteer for this effort deserve a round of applause because it’s so much work, and the clients need this clothing so desperately.  Thanks to all of you!

The Food Bank for Westchester has been offering workshops throughout the fall, focusing on topics important to food pantries such as nutrition, hygiene, statistics and other basics.  We volunteers have faithfully attended these workshops.  Lyn and Barbara just went to a statistics workshop and Eileen went to one on hygiene.  We volunteers do much more than provide food to the clients on Wednesday mornings.  There’s a lot involved in running a pantry, but it’s all worthwhile when we see the clients heading home with food for themselves and their families.

This morning was our final harvest at the Roots and Wings garden behind the church.  They’ll be putting the garden to bed until the spring.  A heartfelt thank-you to all the dedicated Roots and Wings members who plant, water and weed through three seasons for themselves and for the pantry clients.  Our clients have become much more sophisticated about different fruits and vegetables thanks to the CSA and our weekly harvests at the garden.