This month marks my one-year anniversary as a volunteer at the Dobbs Ferry Food Pantry.
A year ago, after a long career in marketing and advertising, I took an entrepreneurial leap and started my own company. One of the best parts of setting my own schedule has been deciding what deserves a permanent spot on it. Wednesday mornings at the pantry made the list immediately, and they’ve stayed there.
I’m part of what you might call the back of the house. Early Wednesday mornings, before our doors open, a small crew of us lugs out the tables, the produce, the cans, and the packages, and stages everything for the volunteers who take over during client hours. Occasionally, I stay for the whole morning. Most weeks, I’m gone before 10 a.m., glad to make things a little easier by doing the heavy lifting while the coffee is still kicking in.
This month, the heavy lifting came with a surprise. Among the deliveries was a variety of California produce, fruit from my home state. My family worked generationally in the produce markets around Watsonville and San Jose, picking and packing fruit. Unloading those boxes in Dobbs Ferry, a continent away, I felt a straight line running from their work to ours. I’m proud to help bring fresh fruit and vegetables to neighbors here, just as my family once helped send them out into the world.
Rain or shine we get the job done!
A visitor with a camera
The fresh produce is also the star of a story someone else came to tell this month. Giovanni Ozias-Lopes, who leads brand and social marketing at Feeding Westchester, spent a Wednesday morning with us. He came to capture the story of the Dobbs Ferry Food Pantry, and he left raving to his team that they should visit more often. We’ll take it.
What Gio saw is what our neighbors see every week. Tables of fresh produce and pantry staples set out like a small neighborhood market. Music playing. Volunteers greet people by name. Instead of handing out pre-packed bags, we invite neighbors to browse and choose the foods that work for their own families. That shift to choice happened after the pandemic, and it matters. Choice reduces waste, makes food more useful at home, and recognizes that every household is different.
The numbers behind that Wednesday morning tell their own story. Before COVID, the pantry served about 30 families indoors. At the height of the pandemic, that number reached nearly 175. Today, with support from Feeding Westchester, we provide fresh, nutritious food to about 100 families every week.
At the center of it all are our co-directors, Donna Assumma and Vera Halpenny, whose story Gio came to tell. Vera came to the pantry after a career working with people with developmental disabilities. Donna joined after retirement, bringing years of experience creating welcoming spaces.
“It’s really a joy to be here,” Vera told him.
“For us, it’s about treating every person with respect and dignity,” Donna said.
That’s the whole philosophy in two sentences.
Vera also reminded Gio of something worth repeating here: many people are surprised to learn that hunger exists in every corner of Westchester. Today, 39% of Westchester households are at risk of hunger. “We’re always trying to get the word out — who we are, what we do, and that we’re here if people need us,” she said.
Thanks to our Dobbs Ferry High School and Masters School volunteers!
Some of the best help we get all year comes from students. This month, we want to thank Khair Parris from the Masters School and from Dobbs Ferry High School, Kevin Lynn, Anjali Jaundoo, Willa Roth, Sophia Maltby, and Sebastian Carlsten. They show up, work hard, and make Wednesday mornings run smoother.
A special thank-you to Mary Alice Fahey, the DFHS teacher who connects student volunteers with the pantry and coordinates many of the donation drives that keep our shelves stocked. Mary Alice, we couldn’t do it without you!
The community showed up, as always
The staff of Elmwood Day Camp arrived with an enormous donation of goods. Camp director Leora and her team, Melvin, Sam, and Roque, hauled it all in on their own. Turns out generosity is a camp activity too. Thank you, Elmwood!
Maria Portillo donated slippers for our families, a thoughtful gift that goes beyond the grocery list.
Rosemary from the Scarsdale Woman’s Club arrived with loads of groceries along with a monetary donation for the pantry. Thank you, Rosemary and the Scarsdale Woman’s Club!
What we need right now
For our families with little ones: size 5 and size 6 diapers and baby wipes are always welcome. (We’re out of size 5 as of this writing.)
Our shelves are also running low on canned fruit, tuna fish, and rice.
And here’s a request you might not expect: we’d love spices, sauces, and salad dressing. These are the things that turn groceries into meals, and they’re items we rarely receive from our regular suppliers. Next time you’re shopping, grab an extra jar of sauce or a bottle of dressing for a neighbor.
Donations can be dropped off at the pantry during regular Wednesday hours, or shelf-stable and personal care items can be left in the bin near the main entrance.
We gratefully acknowledge the ongoing support from the following organizations and local businesses: Dobbs Ferry Lutheran Church, Irvington Presbyterian Church, South Presbyterian Church, Temple Beth Shalom, United Methodist Church, Woodlands Community Temple, Zion Episcopal Church, MOM’s Organic Market, Panera, Stop & Shop, Sunshine Bagel, and The Shop.
This month’s newsletter was written by Peter Fasano, a proud member of the pantry’s early-morning heavy-lifting crew, who just finished his first year of Wednesdays.
Dobbs Ferry Food Pantry 