Local food banks continue to give all year ’round

by Wende Carr

Eileen Tobin initially got involved with the local churches’ holiday meal baskets program as an outgrowth of the relationships she developed with families participating in the weekly food bank at St. Bartholomew’s Church. The food pantry doesn’t just provide food, according to Tobin. It is also stocked with toiletries, cleaning supplies and other household necessities.

Parishioners and non-parishoners are always welcome to drop donations in a box located in the lobby of the church.

“As supplies come into the pantry, people do take them, so we always need to restock supplies,” Tobin said. “We go through a lot, especially at the beginning of each month.”

She adds that grateful recipients ask what they can do to help and “give back.”

Their work is welcomed in stocking and other work required to keep the pantry running, she said.

A longtime supporter of the holiday food basket project and the food pantry is Dan Hitchcock of Dan’s Big M in Eagle Bay.

Hitchcock regularly donates meats and other perishable products that are stored in a freezer at the food bank.

He also places a donation jar for the food pantry at the store’s checkout counter.

“It’s easy to help people who are helping others. Eileen has always been good to us, shopping here. She’s fantastic! We’re in the food business and it’s hard to think of people going hungry,” he said.

Tobin said the food pantry received food donations at the end of the summer from children’s and university camps on Raquette Lake, as well as from family camps when they were closed down for the season.

The plentiful donations were shared by St. Bart’s food pantry staff with the Niccolls Church pantry.

Tobin also spoke of the “amazing” recent gift of 1,000 pounds of Maine potatoes donated by Mark Jones of Utica, which were separated by volunteers into five to ten pound bags.

“We told folks who visited the pantry, ‘You can take other stuff too, but you HAVE to take two bags of potatoes!” she said.

The St. Bart’s pantry is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4 to 6 p.m.

But if someone is in need at other times, they can call 369- 3554 and make an appointment to pick up supplies.

The Niccolls Church pantry is open 24/7 in the church hallway beside the kitchen.

Participation can be anonymous.

The pantry is supplied primarily with contributions made by individuals.

Food can be left in a basket located just inside the back door of the church.

Monetary contributions are also welcome to purchase items for those with specific nutritional needs.

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