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Thanks to generous donations from residents and organizations, the food pantry will be able to feed the community’s neediest through at least the end of January, said Carol Harvey, a co-director of the pantry that operates out of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church. The pantry operates through the New Canaan Office of Health and Human Services and residents in need of food should apply for the pantry services.
“People are thankful themselves, and they think everyone should have a good Thanksgiving meal. And then it gets to Christmas, and they want everyone to eat good at Christmas,” Harvey said. “People are in a very generous time, and it’s just in the minds of people to help the poor at the holidays.”
The pantry is serving more families this year than it did at this time last year, she said. About 250 people in 60 families rely on food from the pantry, up from about 180 people last year. “I think it’s getting tough for people who’ve lived in New Canaan for a long time,” she said. “No one thinks families in New Canaan need help, but they do.”
The food pantry gives bags of food to families every two weeks. In addition to the bags of food, the pantry will provide gift cards for people to purchase turkeys or hams for holiday meals, Harvey said.
It’s nice that families and neighbors are so giving during the holidays, she said. But she hopes people will continue giving throughout the year as food and money donations often slow in the spring and summer.
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