Good afternoon, everybody – Last Wednesday was a busy one for us. We served 132 families, including 268 adults, 181 children and 47 seniors, for a total of 496 people. Since it was the end of the month we gave Stop & Shop gift cards also. Our clients love those gift cards, but we can no longer give them out every week the way we used to do. In September we served an average of 101 families and 539 people a week. We’re hoping to be able to give gift cards out twice a month around the holidays in November and December in place of turkeys or whatever. Then people can buy whatever they want for the holidays.
Between March and September we served a total of 11,843 people. And we’re still going! thanks to Robin Larkins, Co-Director of SPRING Community Partners, for coming up with figures like this for us. She has a head for numbers!
Here’s some exciting news – We’ll be doing another one of our fundraisers at Sam’s Restaurant at 128 Main Street in Dobbs Ferry (samsofdobbsferry.com) on Thursday, October 15. You can get takeout or eat lunch or dinner that day and the Pantry will get part of the proceeds. Plus you won’t have to cook or wash dishes that day. Maurice Giliberti, owner of Sam’s since 1984, has supported the Pantry in every way since we started, and even in the face of the pandemic he’s willing to do it again. Sam’s pizza is the best in town, and you should try their pork chops with vinegar peppers – what a treat!!
My co-director, Vera Halpenny, and I attended the monthly meeting of the Greenburgh Human Rights Committee at the invitation of long-time member Stu Hackel. Focus was on issues around racist graffiti, Zoom bombing and improving relations with police in Greenburgh, but their particular interest at this meeting was on food insecurity. We gave a history and told them what we’ve been up against these last few months. They wanted to know how they could help and we asked them to mention us on their Facebook page. People may be motivated to make a contribution, and the more donations we get the better, especially with the holidays coming.
I must highlight the help we’ve been receiving from caterer Renee Kashuba of MadeByRK (foodmadebyrk.com). All summer she supplied gourmet soups and homemade breads to all our hungry clients, and now she’s still with us. Every week she provides us with small packages of rice, beans, flour and oatmeal, so that we can put them into the prepackaged boxes for the clients. Our clients are still being served by her and they don’t even know it. Thanks for staying with us, RK!
Dobbs Ferry Food Pantry 