Late in the summer, I experienced a week that was memorable for the Ridgefield residents who donate to and use the food pantry.
I started my Tuesday with a visit to the Rotary Sunrise Club. My primary reason for being there was to discuss with them, "How can the Rotary Club" help the pantry... help Ridgefield residents? After the hearty discussion about the value the pantry offers our residents with financial hardship, they delivered to the Social Services Department $700 collected from Ridgefield residents toward the pantry. Like I have so many times before here in Ridgefield, I was feeling both lucky and blessed to be part of such a generous community.
Soon after returning to the office and checking my email, I was interrupted by footsteps and talking out in the hall. There I saw a familiar face, Ian a Ridgefield High School student. He has made multiple visits to the pantry over the previous months to drop off the spoils of his social media driven food drive. On several occasions, he has sent Facebook and Twitter messages out to the community asking for donations. And of course, as one might expect here in Ridgefield he received many boxes and bags of non-perishable items. The bags and boxes spilled onto the floor from the seats and tables in the pantry by the time he had finished delivering them.
No sooner had he finished delivering his food items, when the Ridgefield Baptist Church called to say they would be bringing over a "minivan' filled with food. Turns out their Bible Camp had done a food drive last week and they wanted to get the food to the people who need it. By the time they were done unloading the food, nearly every square inch of table and floor space in the pantry was covered with boxes and bags of food. (and while it didn't happen yesterday, I don't want to forget that St. Mary's Bible camp also collected bags and bags full of food for the pantry the week prior.)
To my surprise, close to the end of the day came a real treat. A local boy had just celebrated his seventh birthday. Instead of asking for gifts, he had asked his guests to bring a food pantry item to his party instead. After it was all said and done, he had collected a Darth Vader bag filled with canned vegetables and soup and his bucket he uses for his baseballs was filled with macaroni and cheese, rice and pasta sauce. His grandparents who had brought him to the food pantry were visibly proud, and so was I. And the residents who stopped in after the deliveries, were visibly pleased and grateful for the wonderful selection of food they had to bring home with them.
The amazing thing about generosity and giving, is that it gives back. Obviously, the people who are hungry and in need, get the food they need to keep themselves or their families fed. At the same time volunteerism and service to the community are suggested to provide many benefits like: increasing self confidence and increasing social interaction... which point toward a happier life. It also is suggested to reduce risks for things like depression and heart disease, making for a healthier life.
While I can't say that anyone's cholesterol level was reduced after dropping off the food, I can tell you that the pride I heard in the donors voices and the smiles on their faces tells me that they are living a happier, healthier and more connected way of life.
What a great week for the pantry. A great week for Ridgefielders!
Learn more about the food pantry by contacting Tony Phillips, LCSW at 203-431-2777. Learn more about what kids need to succeed at this website:
Search Institute.
