Good afternoon, everybody – Yesterday we served 93 families, including 186 adults, 125 children and 33 seniors, for a total of 344 people served. Our stalwart delivery volunteers made 34 deliveries to clients who couldn’t get to the pantry.
Sadly, I must start on a tragic note. In December a young family and their children volunteered enthusiastically at the pantry. They loved the experience and hoped to come again. Instead, a few days ago the young husband and father passed away unexpectedly. The family had been so happy with the pantry that they’ve asked that donations be made to the pantry in his memory. We’ve already received several donations. Nobody expects a man in the prime of life to be struck down this way, and our hearts go out to the widow and their children. We are profoundly grateful that in their grief they’ve thought of us and our clients at the pantry.
In the midst of all this, this past Saturday there was a wonderful concert for the pantry’s benefit performed at Jazz Forum Arts in Tarrytown. I’m sure many people on this list were there and were transported up to the sky, as I was, by the mastery of the artists and how they meshed with each other. Every one of the artists performed for free, and we at the pantry are touched by how much they care for the pantry. Yesterday Mark Morganelli and Ellen Prior came to the pantry with a check for us. We owe Mark and Ellen a debt of gratitude for working so hard to bring a New York City-level club to Tarrytown. My husband and I saw Freddy Cole there, and it was magical.
A couple of weeks ago we were contacted by the Shames JCC in Tarrytown. The United Jewish Appeal organizes the packing of Blizzard Boxes every year around Martin Luther King Day. The JCC wanted to know how many boxes we’d like. We asked for 150 boxes, and they were picked up at the JCC this morning by our volunteers. Our gratitude to all the individuals who packed those boxes for us. Apparently, it’s usually an in-person event, which must be very merry, but this year, of course, it was all done separately by individuals and families and then collected at the JCC. If they contact us again next year, we’ll ask for more! Thanks, JCC!
Our friends at Ardsley United Methodist Church are always there for us. This coming Saturday, the 23rd, even in the middle of winter, they’re doing a food drive for us. You can drop off food for us Saturday between 11:00 and 1:00 at Ardsley Methodist at 525 Ashford Avenue, Ardsley. Every time they do a food drive for us Ken Stahn ends up delivering all the food (plus cash and Stop & Shop gift cards) to us, packed into his car. Thank you, Ken, and thanks to the United Methodist Women and to all the shoppers who will drop off food for us.
And a shout-out to Temple Beth Shalom in Hastings. Every week they’ve been helping us with fresh produce. This week we asked them instead to donate shelf-stable milk and presto! It was done. Cantor Robin Joseph and the TBS Social Action Committee have been true friends of the pantry for a long time.
Dobbs Ferry Food Pantry 