Good afternoon, everybody – this past Wednesday we served a total of 31 families in the morning, including 50 adults, 43 children and 10 seniors. Then in the evening we served another 14 families with 29 adults, 23 children and 2 seniors. In total we served 45 families, including 79 adults, 66 children and 12 seniors. We served a total of 423 people this month, and we averaged 30 families and 85 people a week.
I was in touch with Mary Sherman, the VISTA volunteer at Mercy College, who says they’re continuing to work out the logistics of the opening of the food pantry at the campus in Dobbs Ferry. They’ve already been operating one at the Bronx campus for quite some time, and it’s not only for students but for staff and teachers as well, who also suffer from food insecurity. Apparently, it’s very well received and appreciated. Mary says they’ve set a tentative grand opening date in Dobbs Ferry for Wednesday, November 14, subject to change. Their goal is to have the pantry operated by the students, with staff oversight. We wish them well, and we’ve offered to help in any way they need.
The Pantry 5K team of seven volunteers successfully completed the Feeding Westchester 5K at Pace University in Pleasantville this past Saturday, and we won an award for fundraising! This speaks directly to some of the people on this list, as well as other friends and family members of the volunteers. Thanks to everybody who donated, and we’ll be sure to register for the 5K again next year. Maybe we’ll have more volunteers for the team!
Speaking of generous donors, a thirteen-year-old girl whose family belongs to Zion Episcopal Church had a birthday party, and she asked the guests to bring along something for the Pantry. Carol Seischab brought us four packed boxes of food plus three extra bags, all filled with food donations for the Pantry. Our special thanks to Willa and her family, and to Zion Episcopal, where Mother Mary Grambsch encourages parishioners to think of the Pantry at all times. Not to mention Carol, who carries food to us from Zion and from Dobbs Ferry Lutheran Church nearly every week, and then sorts it and puts it all away.
You may have seen on the news or on Facebook or twitter that South Church served as a sanctuary for an Ecuadorian family from Ossining from Monday until Wednesday. They lived for those two days in the upstairs of the church and cooked and ate in our kitchen. ICE is not permitted to enter a church without a judicial warrant, and nobody came from ICE, so they were safe for those two days. Their lawyer had submitted the wrong documents and, in spite of living in the U.S. for 24 years, they were in danger of deportation until their new lawyer arranged with a judge to sign a “do not deport” order. Now they can continue with their lives in Ossining while their residency petition is processed in the courts. Our Minister, Drew Paton, has vowed that we will provide sanctuary if ever necessary, and he made good on his word.
Dobbs Ferry Food Pantry 