Good afternoon, everybody – This past Wednesday we served a total of 112 families, including 224 adults, 149 children and 30 seniors, for a total of 403 people. We delivered food to 33 homes, with the help of five volunteers who load the food into their cars and drive throughout the area to people who need food but for some reason (illness, etc.) can’t get to the pantry. A year ago on January 9, 2019 we served 24 families. What a difference!
This past Saturday night there was a virtual concert called “Diversity Sings”, organized by our friends at Woodlands Community Temple. It was music by people from many different cultures, and it was heartwarming. The concert was free, but people were encouraged to donate to the Pantry. We received many donations as a result of that concert, and donations are still coming in.
Woodlands itself has donated generously to the Pantry as well in order to help us through the winter. The donation was collected from many of the congregants of the synagogue, and Rabbi Billy Dreskin said that their hope is that the contribution “will help many to put food on their table”. Deepest thanks to the Rabbis, the Social Action Committee and all the members of this most caring of groups, and rest assured, Woodlands, that many have been and will be helped by your long-time support.
In just about every email I mention Ardsley United Methodist Church because they’re always standing beside us. They’ve done many food drives for us, packing all the food into Ken Stahn’s SUV, who delivers it to us, together with cash and gift cards. Even in the cold of January they’re planning to do another food drive on Saturday the 23rd from 11:00 to 1:00, with the help of the local cub scouts. Then, if people are able to come out in the cold and donate food, they’ll do it again sometime in February.
Speaking of SUV’s, the Scarsdale Woman’s Club has done several food drives for us as well. They learned about us from Judy Whelan of Ardsley Methodist. They gather all the food and drive it over, packed into five SUV’s, along with multiple gift cards. They’re planning on doing this every month for the foreseeable future. May hat is off to anyone who does a food drive for us. It takes a tremendous amount of hard work, patience and dedication.
This past Wednesday our clients took home delicious prepared meals from Scaramella’s in Dobbs Ferry. These meals were provided through the generosity of one anonymous donor from The Landing. The people at The Landing have been caring for us since the summer, and we are grateful to all of them, including this anonymous donor, who has helped us before.
Every Tuesday Temple Beth Shalom in Hastings helps us with produce. Two weeks ago they brought enough avocados for all our clients, and this past Wednesday it was lettuce. They’re planning on helping us with whatever we most need every week.
I hope everybody has purchased their tickets for this Saturday’s virtual jazz fundraiser for the Pantry at 8:00 p.m. at Jazz Forum Arts. Tickets are only $20 and some of the most outstanding jazz artists are contributing their performances for the sake of the pantry. If you haven’t done so, order your ticket at jazzforumarts.org/tickets. See you there!
Dobbs Ferry Food Pantry 