Summer brings plea for food, personal care products
By Michael Turton
Most summer traditions bring a smile to peoples’ faces – vacation, baseball, backyard barbecues and the farmers’ market among them. But for the Philipstown Food Pantry, established more than 30 years ago, summer is an annual time of need.
“Contributions always decrease in summer,” Andrea Bach said. Bach and Karen Tangen coordinate the Saturday morning food bank held year-round at the First Presbyterian Church of Philipstown at 10 Academy St., in Cold Spring.
“It’s great at Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter … but in summer, everyone’s busy. That’s when donations flatten out. It’s our biggest drop,” Bach said. The biggest need is non-perishable food items such as coffee, small packages of rice, cereal, and concentrated juices. Shampoo, razors, toothpaste, laundry soap, sanitary napkins and other personal care items are also needed.
During the summer, donations can be made at the Food Pantry from Tuesday to Thursday from 9 a.m. to noon. Once school resumes, contributions can be dropped off Monday through Friday at those same times. Donations can also be made between 8:30 and 9 on Saturday mornings.
The Food Pantry distributes its goods between 9 and 10 on Saturday mornings. In addition, food and personal care items are collected in front of Foodtown on the fourth Saturday of each month. The next Foodtown collection is Aug. 24. Foodtown shoppers can also donate their shopping points to the pantry. “Foodtown does a lot for us,” Bach said.
Bach said that the Philipstown Food Pantry operates thanks to the efforts of more than 30 volunteers. “But we can always use more,” she said.
Photos by M. Turton
