|
Food Pantry Feeds More Than Hunger in Philipstown
by Kevin Foley
Hunger doesn't take a holiday. And neither does the searing anxiety over making sure you and your children have enough to eat. In a country of great abundance with a multi-billion dollar safety net there are people who still wake up to confront empty cupboards and refrigerators.
And there are people who make it their mission to help those without food obtain it.
The Philipstown Food Pantry was started almost twenty years ago as a joint project of all the houses of worship in the town. The First Presbyterian Church in Cold Spring has had the operational responsibility all that time with the other churches and community organizations contributing volunteers, money and food donations.
Fifty-two weeks of the year on Saturday mornings at nine o'clock people come to the pantry, located on Academy Street in the Presbyterian Church's community room to receive an allocation of food for the week. The day before and earlier that morning the volunteers will have organized what supplies are on hand, gone to pick up donations from a bakery, restaurant, farm stand or supermarket or gone shopping for whatever else is needed.
"We never close, people need help with food year 'round" said food pantry coordinator, Jackie Sammon, a woman who found added meaning in her own life after she moved to Cold Spring and took on this volunteer responsibility as a member of the board of deacons of the First Presbyterian Church. "When we first moved here I was looking to meet people and had just gotten a diagnosis of MS so I guess you could say I found this job when it needed me and I needed it. "It is a lot of work but it has just been tremendous for me personally."
There are all sorts of reasons people who don't have much money to begin with can suddenly find they are unable to feed themselves or their families, according to Sammon who has seen a lot of heartache in her four and a half years on the job. "A spouse might leave or be imprisoned, a child-caring parent dies, a job is lost, or a sudden medical condition can cause it," she said.
The pantry currently serves about 80 adults and 30 children and that is about the average number throughout the year although the faces change. The only real requirement of people seeking assistance is providing proof of Philipstown residency. Set up just for food distribution, the pantry will help refer people to other agencies for other problems such as health care or housing. "We do make a point about making people aware of the food stamp program so they can appreciate that financial help is available to them," said Sammon. In emergency situations pantry volunteers have delivered food to people's homes.
The Christmas holiday season does see a peak in contributions from people of food and money. Local residents often donate their ham and turkey awards from the Cold Spring Foodtown or donate their S&H shopping Greenpoints from the store which results in a couple of checks every year for the pantry, this year more than $3,000. Thanksgiving and Easter also see a rise in donations from commercial food establishments.
But beyond the celebratory holidays when generosity is in the air are many weeks in February, May or July when community attention is elsewhere while people still seek help. "Donations completely disappear in summer even though the need is the same," said Sammon. She said the pantry saved its money for these periods in order to buy food to stock their empty shelves. Under the auspices of the Salvation Army of Greater New York the Food Pantry is a member of the Regional Food Bank, which supplements local food contributions.
While canned and dry goods are the staples of a food pantry operation some donors offer variety to the menu. The Garrison Fish and Game Club and Hunters for the Hungry provide upwards of a 100 pounds of venison each year for the pantry, offering an alternative for those who cannot eat beef or might enjoy the different choice.
This Christmas as in the past, there are donations of special baked goods and winter clothing to supplement the regular foodstuffs. Cold Spring Mayor Anthony Phillips and Dan Dillon from Our Lady of Loretto Catholic Church coordinate bringing toys for the children who make use of the pantry.
The Philipstown Food Pantry volunteers come from different faiths and walks of life but share "the joy of helping people who need it in a direct way rather than just writing a check," said Jackie Sammon. They continue to hope others will join them, especially when the weather is warm but the need is just as great.
Providing local news, information and opinions from
Philipstown and Putnam Valley, NY
Encompassing the Villages of Cold Spring and Nelsonville,
and the hamlet of Garrison, Putnam County, NY.
This site is a publication of The Putnam County News and Recorder, the source for news and information of the Philipstown
and Putnam Valley area. The PCN&R is 139
years old, published in hard copy every Wednesday, and circulated throughout Putnam
County, NY.
The PCN&R prints LEGAL NOTICES
for: Putnam County, The Town of Philipstown, The Town of Putnam Valley, Village of Cold Spring, Village of
Nelsonville, the Haldane Union Free School District and the Garrison Union Free School
District.
Deadline for printed press releases, advertisements and classifieds is Monday at noon for
Wednesday publication. This site is updated on an as-needed basis with a minimum update
weekly on Thursdays. For further information or to request a subscription to the paper, please
contact us with your name and mailing address at:
(845) 265-2468 PO Box 185, Cold Spring, NY 10516, or e-mail us at editor@pcnr.com
If you see an advertiser on line, tell them! | 
