Good morning, everybody – This past Wednesday the pantry served slightly fewer people than in the last two weeks. I hope this means that people are being called back to work. Maybe some of these people will now donate to the pantry. On Wednesday the volunteers served 119 families (last week 121 and the week before 129), consisting of 254 adults, 162 children and 32 seniors. A total of 448 people were served.
I must boast about Ogden Place – the block where I live in Dobbs Ferry. We did a food drive for the pantry, and ended up with 17 bags and 2 boxes full of food, plus 2 boxes of diapers! All from one short street! One of our neighbors – Krisanne Bayer – is adept at organizing activities, and she’s loved by everyone, so all she had to do was send a text around and everybody gathered food for us. I have a feeling that other blocks in Dobbs Ferry, Ardsley, Irvington or Greenburgh might have the same spirit.
And on Friday, when we brought the food to the pantry, we also received another entire collection of food from a combination of the Dobbs Ferry Lutheran Church and the Dobbs Ferry Christian Preschool, which is located at DFLC. The congregation has cared for us for years, and this time it was augmented by the parents of the children who were graduating from the Preschool. The parents did a drive-by that day, and Director Barbara Mertens asked them to bring something for the pantry at the same time. Thanks to everybody at DFLC, and to the Preschool parents also. And special thanks to Director Barbara Mertens!
For the last few months we’ve only been open on Wednesday mornings because hardly any clients were coming to the evening pantry on the last Wednesday of the month. But now that people are back to work, we’ll be open again this coming Wednesday evening, June 24, from 5:30 to 7:00 in addition to the morning pantry.
Today was the first day of the CSA! We’ll be getting fresh, organic produce from Fable Farm in Ossining for the rest of the summer and fall! And as luck would have it, volunteer Marc Taiano, who is the soul and body of the pantry as well as the Roots & Wings kitchen garden, will be at Fable every Tuesday and will bring us our two shares (together with whatever else farmer Tom Deacon can donate) right to the pantry on Tuesday evening, to be given out the following day.
Speaking of the kitchen garden, on Wednesday the gardeners provided more tomato plants for the clients to take home to grow their own tomatoes. Again, it was Marc who brought these from the garden to the pantry.
On Wednesday, in addition to their provisions from the pantry, clients took home prepared food from Harpers/OnTheLine and soup and bread from MadeByRK. Then a van arrived from the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture in Pocantico Hills, NY. Their restaurant, Blue Hill, is not open now, but they’re sending food and produce from the farm to pantries and soup kitchens. And this past week the pantry was the recipient of their kindness. Everyone took home an extra box of food, and the staff have promised that they’ll be back from time to time with more delicious food from their farm.
The pantry’s cup runneth over. But there’s always a need for more. Deepest thanks to everyone who has either sent us food or made a monetary donation on our website. We’re continuing to meet the needs of the people in our area because of the generosity of the residents of the Rivertowns. This is a wonderful place to live.
Dobbs Ferry Food Pantry 