Community Corner
Smithtown Emergency Food Pantry Experiencing Donation Shortages This Holiday Season
Pat Westlake, Executive Coordinator of the food pantry, said after a good Thanksgiving the donations have slowed down significantly.
The Smithtown Emergency Food Pantry, supplying families across the Smithtown community with a variety of food items, said it helped 1,000 families by the end of October, but is currently experiencing shortages of donations for the holiday season.
"Although right now we are in very good shape, we don't have [donations]," said Executive Coordinator of the food pantry Pat Westlake.
The food pantry accepts donations, which range from canned goods to juice, and made dinners, all year long. This past Thanksgiving, Westlake said 102 turkeys were given out and only 30 remain, which will be distributed to families in need.
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"It's going to be a long winter month," Westlake said. "Every year we've been growing. A lot of the people are the working poor. We can help them with the food, they just don't have enough money to live on Long Island and they can't get food stamps."
Seven area churches that take charge and staff the food pantry with volunteers of the church formed the Smithtown Emergency Food Pantry, based at 90 Edgewater Avenue. This month, the church St. Thomas of Canterbury church is staffing the pantry in the rear of the parish house. One wishing to donate may do so Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. For more information one may call the pantry at 631-265-7676.
