July 2024

Dobbs Ferry Residents Support Food Pantry, Once Again, As More Families Need Our Help

Kevin Skaggs, husband of pantry co-director Gretchen Skaggs, reached out for every dollar and to every potential volunteer during our food drive at the local Stop & Shop

The Dobbs Ferry Food Pantry was the beneficiary of the overwhelming generosity of Rivertown supporters of our “Feeding Our Families Food Drive” at Stop & Shop on Saturday, June 1.

Volunteers from food pantries across the tri-state area spent the day at some 200 Stop & Shop locations, including 14 stores throughout Westchester, to collect nonperishable food, personal hygiene items and cash donations, and to sign up volunteers.

Feeding Westchester, a food bank, organized the county drive, while other Feeding America regional food banks led drives in their area.

Feeding Westchester reported that the county drive collected 12,555 pounds of donations, roughly translating into 10,465 meals for pantry clients across the county. The Dobbs Ferry Food Pantry received 26 1/2 boxes of food, personal products and $335 in cash donations.

“Donations typically slow down in the warmer months as residents’ calendars fill up with graduations and vacations, and we need to work harder to secure what our client neighbors need,” said pantry co-director Vera Halpenny. “This drive was an important contribution in meeting the increase in demand we’ve seen in recent weeks.”

The Teen Volunteers Are Back This Summer!

And, boy, did we ever miss them. We are so grateful for the area high school and college students who show up every Wednesday in the summer to help us out. We enjoy their company, energy and dedication. More to the point, few, if any, of our regular volunteers are likely starters for the 110-meter hurdles event at the Olympic Games in France this summer.

Sourcing Close to Home

The pantry is fortunate to receive fresh organic produce from the vegetable garden known as Roots & Wings at South Presbyterian Church. And we continue to work with local bakeries that donate delicious bread and baked goods, allowing our clients to pick from a wide variety every week. It goes way beyond bread.

And a Final Note
I was on my way in the blazing heat last Wednesday to carry out one of my latest assignments when I was stopped cold by a scene that, in my view, perfectly captured the spirit and nature of our volunteers.

One of our volunteers was going down the line of waiting clients – some arrived two hours before the pantry opened – carrying cups in one hand and a pitcher of cold water in the other. I quickly grabbed my cell phone to take a picture, but then I realized no one, including the water bearer, really wanted to spoil this moment with a photo.

Duke Coffey, longtime pantry volunteer and longtime wit, wrote this month’s newsletter.