Food Pantry Benefits From Parade Collection Effort

By Shannon Hicks

Breanne Lubinsky can’t hide her disappointment when she talks about the results of this year’s One Can Make(s) A Difference collection, which was conducted a week and a half ago during the Labor Day Parade.

For the second year, the Newtown High School junior arranged for a collection to take place during Newtown’s big parade. She and friends had three trucks ready to be filled on September 7 as their group made its way along the parade route, and when they were done late Monday morning they had been given 1,500 items by people who were prepared for the collection.

In the weeks leading up to the parade, residents had been reminded of the One Can collection. A list of requested items was presented by Lee Paulsen, co-chair of FAITH Food Pantry in Sandy Hook, and residents were asked to put at least one nonperishable donation into a shopping bag so that Breanne and her friends could easily pick up the donations during the course of the parade. The bags were then going to be given to FAITH so that its volunteers could then use them to package items for clients.

In addition to collecting cans and boxes, cash donations were also received this year. While some parade attendees offered cash and checks, others decided to purchase magnets that had been created by fellow NHS student Stephen Forgione. Sold at $5 apiece, Stephen had given Breanne and her crew 120 of the magnets to sell during the parade, and they sold all but four of them.

While the total number of items collected is down from the 2,455 cans, boxes, and other miscellaneous items that were collected during the 2008 parade, the big picture is this: With $1,300 cash in hand — up significantly from the $200 that was collected last year — FAITH Food Pantry volunteers can buy a lot of nonperishables for their clients.

Breanne should not be disappointed with those results.

“I had my expectations high from last year,” Breanne admitted this week, her voice failing to hide her frustration. Last year her group had just two trucks, and each was filled to overflowing before they reached the corner of Sugar Street and Main Street, about the halfway point in the parade. This year St John’s Episcopal Church Warden Bruce Moulthrop drove a third truck, joining the two orange trucks provided by the Hanna family.

“We hardly used the third truck,” Breanne said.

Regardless, FAITH Food Pantry volunteers will be able to supplement its inventory with stock from the Connecticut Food Bank. Shopping there, as well as at other grocery stores and cooperatives, will allow FAITH to offer oleo, peanut butter, chicken, hamburger, kielbasa and hot dogs to those who find their way to the food pantry in upcoming weeks.

Also helping to make the collection a success this year were items from local businesses including Dr Joshua Baum, who donated a large number of toothbrushes; Dental Associates, with toothbrushes and toothpaste; and Rand-Whitney, which provided boxes for the collection.

The best news is, while she may be discouraged this year, Breanne has already decided that there will be a third annual One Can Make(s) A Difference collection in 2010.

“We’ll just get the word out earlier. Maybe people just forgot about it this year,” she said this week. “So start planning now: Bring a can to the parade.”

FAITH Food Pantry is located in the basement of St John’s Episcopal Church, 5 Washington Avenue in Sandy Hook. It is open Tuesdays from 10 am until noon and Thursdays from 6 to 8 pm. If you missed getting a donation to Breanne during the parade and cannot get to the food pantry during their regular hours, drop at donation at The Newtown Bee, 5 Church Hill Road, and we will get it to FAITH for you.