Voters can help fight hunger in the community
October 29, 2020 | By Mary Miller
Daphne Jackson, circulation assistant at the Waterbury Public Library, checks out the donation box at the library for the Waterbury Area Food Shelf. Courtesy photo.
As winter approaches and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to be felt, the need at the Waterbury Area Food Shelf remains steady.
Many types of supplies become scarce this time of year according to Food Shelf Director Dani Kehlmann. People are starting to face fuel bills for heat, putting even more strain on limited resources.
In the past, to help restock the shelves this time of year, a team of volunteers would run an Election Day food drive at the polls at Thatcher Brook Primary School.
The first one was held in 2000 and it collected $359 and a dozen boxes filled with food. In 2016, the drive netted $2,461 in cash and filled 21 totes with food - evidence that Waterbury is a very generous, caring community.
This year’s Election Day looks different due to public health regulations that limit the number of people inside the voting area and specify sanitation requirements. Many voters are also expected to simply drop off their ballots, so the typical food drive collection needed some revision this year.
On Election Day, Nov. 3, the Food Shelf will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. to accept non-perishable food and monetary donations. Those headed out to vote in person are invited to stop by to make a contribution. For those voting after 4 p.m., there will be a box outside the Food Shelf for donations.
Those dropping off ballots at the municipal offices through Monday, Nov. 2, may also stop by the Waterbury Public Library which has a collection box for Food Shelf donations. The library box is also always available.
Some suggestions for donations include hearty soups, crackers, baking mixes, packaged side dishes and canned goods; unexpired items please. Personal care items such as toothpaste and shampoo are always in great demand.
As always, community members may make monetary donations online using PayPal or mail in a check. Details are on the Food Shelf website. Financial donations allow the Food Shelf to buy food directly from the Vermont Foodbank and other sources.
The Food Shelf is open for anyone who lives in Waterbury and the surrounding area (Duxbury, Bolton, Middlesex, Moretown, etc.) and who needs help putting food on the table. It is located in downtown Waterbury at 57 S. Main Street, Suite 3, and is open Monday and Friday 10 a.m. to noon, Wednesdays 3-5 p.m.
For public health safety, staff is limiting visitors inside the food shelf to one at a time. Deliveries are available for anyone experiencing illness. More information online at waterburycast.org/waterbury-area-food-shelf.
Mary Miller volunteers with the Waterbury Area Food Shelf and organizes the Election Day food drive.