Ossining Food Pantry Winter 2020 Update

Over the past year, your support has enabled the Ossining Food Pantry to provide non-perishable food items to help feed 150+ families each week. The people we serve are our neighbors from the greater Ossining area. Our clients include single people, couples, parents with children, senior citizens struggling to get by on Social Security, the newly unemployed, the under-employed, veterans, the sick who cannot work and the well who cannot make ends meet under current circumstances. Making matters more difficult, changes to the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) scheduled to take effect on April 1, 2020, mean that some residents are at risk of losing their benefits from the SNAP program, better known as food stamps. The Ossining Food Pantry has seen an "uptick" in the number of client visits during the last half of 2019. With reduced government support, we can expect additional people to turn to the Food Pantry for help. As we move into 2020, we ask for your continued support as we work to help our neighbors in need.

Visit www.OssiningFoodPantry.org

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Today we showcase the Ossining Food Pantry's Agency Delivery Team. As part of the Food Pantry's support of working families, our team delivers food to eligible families who use the Ossining Children's Center or St. Matthew's daycare facilities. Twice per month, pre-packed bags of non-perishable food items are delivered by our loyal volunteers to the childcare sites. The Agency Delivery program ensures that eligible working families -- those who work and may not be able to visit our choice pantry on Thursday evening or Friday morning at Trinity Church -- benefit from our services. Photo: Kathryn O'Rourke (L) and Minu Chaudhuri (R) with over 25 bags to be delivered. Not pictured: Liz Linton, Nenette Kress and Nancy Scoland

Reusable Bags for Trinity Clients As most of our readers know, New York State is currently transitioning from plastic and paper bags to reusable bags. The ban on plastic bags takes effect on March 1st. While food pantries are exempt from this new law, the Ossining Food Pantry is voluntarily making the move away from paper and plastic bags for clients who come to our main distribution site at Trinity Church. In January, we began the process of informing clients of the upcoming changes. Effective with the February 6th evening food distribution, we made the shift from paper and plastic to reusable bags. Single clients and families of 2 and 3 received two reusable bags. Families of four or more received three reusable bags. Our clients have been asked to bring their reusable bags to the Food Pantry for each future visit. We're pleased to be doing our part to help reduce waste and protect the environment! Photo: Elizabeth Montenegra (L) and Jane Botticelli (R) at the reusable bag distribution table on Friday February 7th. Sherman Alpert is pictured in the background manning the cereal station.

JCC on the Hudson Supports the Ossining Food Pantry Thank you to Shames JCC on the Hudson for helping Ossining Food Pantry clients. During the JCC's recent MLK Day of Service, JCC members came together to make up hundreds of boxes of nutritious, non-perishable food items to help families and seniors in Westchester. Each box was decorated by the children with pictures and messages of hope and love. We thank Shames JCC Hudson for including the Ossining Food Pantry in their donation. What a wonderful gift! Photo: Brian Thompson (L) and Anthony Blanco (R) delivered 170 boxes of food from JCC Hudson to our storage room in Trinity Church. Shames JCC Hudson Website

Thank You Donors and Volunteers THANK YOU to our loyal donors who provided the necessary financial and in-kind support needed to maintain Food Pantry operations during 2019. We couldn't do it without you! To the 100+ loyal volunteers who selflessly give their time and energy to make the Ossining Food Pantry the important community resource that it is, we say THANK YOU! You are a wonderful example of community members pulling together to help neighbors in need!

How You Can Help Financial Donations Since the Ossining Food Pantry is an all volunteer organization, financial donations are used principally for the purchase of food. Please be assured that the Food Pantry's Purchasing team works to deliver maximum value from each dollar spent. Organize a Food Drive Work with your neighborhood, school or community organization to organize a food drive for non-perishable, non-expired food items. Volunteer Try us, you'll like us! There are a variety of roles at the Food Pantry. Maybe one of them is right for you!  If you would like to become involved with the Ossining Food Pantry, please call the Food Pantry office at 914-762-5510 or send an email to: OssFoodPan@gmail.com. A volunteer will respond and explain our non-perishable food needs as well as volunteer opportunities.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!!!

Ossining Food Pantry, PO Box 869, Ossining, NY 10562   Email:  OssFoodPan@gmail.com | www.OssiningFoodPantry.org |914-762-5510)