Earlier this month Mayor Domenique Thornton declared Thursday, Oct. 7 to be “Amazing Grace Food Pantry Day.’”
She said the day was intended to recognize the contribution by both the volunteers and the greater city community involved in the charity food pantry, Amazing Grace.
In her proclamation the mayor both praised volunteer efforts and urged for more participation from the Middletown community to assist the growing number of needy and underprivileged families in hunger.
“Amazing Grace Day is a day to celebrate the numerous volunteers here,” Thornton said. “The need [for more volunteers and food drives] just continues to grow, the number [of regular families coming into the pantry] is double what it was when the pantry started.”
The mayor’s comment reflected the growing pains and challenges facing Amazing Grace. Originally started as an emergency food distribution program operating out of a garage, in the course of two years Amazing Grace has transformed itself into a permanent charity food facility regularly serving 550 families. Despite its dramatic growth, Amazing Grace and its volunteers find themselves overwhelmed with new families signing up for the program.
According to Kathleen Kelly, pantry director for Amazing Grace, the pantry serves not only the most impoverished Middletown residents, but working-class people as well.
“Many people who came to Amazing Grace are regular people who need help; many are single mothers with children, older senior citizens and recently unemployed workers,” Kelly said.
The food pantry is especially busy during the end of the month, when most people are having hard times financially. Making matters more difficult, donations also wind down at this time.
Kelly estimated that between 70 and 80 people visit the pantry each afternoon it is open, and an average of 50 families sign up each month.
Volunteers for Amazing Grace took advantage of their day to promote “Families Feed Families” program. During the afternoon of Oct. 7, students from Mercy High School manned “Amazing Grace Food” tables throughout downtown Middletown, encouraging passersby to sign up for the program, a year-long commitment of steady donations of food to the pantry.
Despite the challenges Amazing Grace faces, there has been tremendous response and support from the Middletown community. Numerous churches, schools and local businesses such as Citizen’s Bank, The Middletown Rotary Club, It’s Only Natural, Middlesex Hospital, Russell Library and the mayor’s office are all participants in the “Families Feed Families” program. In addition, many new businesses also signed for the program during “Amazing Grace Day,” according to Kelly.
Located just a few blocks from the University on 139 Main St., Amazing Grace Food Pantry is open every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 1 – 4 p.m. it welcomes both non-perishable food donations and volunteers. According to Kelly, Amazing Grace pantry is a “shopper’s choice food pantry.” Rather than being a conventional soup kitchen where food is served, Amazing Grace allows its participants to pick out groceries of their own liking within the maximum quota of 32 items per month.
Several Wesleyan students are currently volunteering in the pantry and Kelly urges more students to do the same.
“This is a wonderful opportunity to help somebody else and also gain an appreciation of yourself and what you already have,” she said.
Interested people can contact Kathleen Kelly at (860) 347-3222. Non-perishable food donations can be dropped off at 139 Main St. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, between 11 a.m – 5 p.m or at St. Vincent DePaul Place at 617 Main St.
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