Thanksgiving in rear view mirror, pantry gears up for next holidays - Bristol Press

Thanksgiving in rear view mirror, pantry gears up for next holidays - Bristol Press

PLYMOUTH — The Plymouth Community Food Pantry distributed complete meals to about 150 families for Thanksgiving.

The food pantry will be distributing meals again in December for the holidays. Anyone who would like to donate to help out may do so in one of three ways:

n  Use PayPal or a credit card: Visit the website http://ift.tt/2fAltvd and click the “Donate Now” button.

n  Send a check: Mail checks payable to Plymouth Community Food Pantry, at 20 Dewey Ave., Terryville, CT 06786.

n  Donate in person: Visit the food pantry at its 20 Dewey Ave. location to make a donation. Call 860-584-1750 first to make certain it is open.

“We currently serve almost 5 percent of the population of Plymouth/Terryville,” said Erin Kennedy, executive director. “Many we serve are the working poor, the elderly and children. Please help make their holidays wonderful this year by donating whatever amount you can.”

Kennedy said anyone who shops online using AmazonSmile can pick the food pantry as their charitable organization to receive 0.5 percent of their purchase price through the AmazonSmile Foundation.

AmazonSmile offers the same prices and merchandise selection as Amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price, at no cost to the shopper. Eligible products are marked “Eligible for AmazonSmile donation” on their product detail pages. Nearly one million organizations are available to support.

Shoppers can use the same account on Amazon.com and AmazonSmile, according to the AmazonSmile website http://ift.tt/2gu2ruV.

Donations of perishable and non-perishable food and other items can be dropped off at 20 Dewey Ave. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9 to 10 a.m.

Non-perishable items only can be dropped off at the Plymouth Volunteer Ambulance Corps, 191 Main St., Terryville, seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The following food items are most needed: Baby food, beef stew, canned pasta meals, canned meat, canned tomatoes, coffee and tea, cookies, crackers, hash, hot and cold cereal, instant mashed potatoes, Jello, jelly, juice, macaroni and cheese, mayonnaise, pancake mix, pasta, peanut butter, pudding, rice, soup, syrup, spaghetti sauce and tuna fish.

The following personal care items are most needed: Detergent, diapers, paper towels, paper goods, shampoo, soap and toilet paper.

The food pantry is open for shoppers on Mondays between 2 and 3 p.m., with volunteers arriving at 1:50 p.m.

Friday hours are 9 a.m. to noon for volunteers, 10 a.m. to noon for shoppers.

The food pantry is also open the first Tuesday of each month from 5 to 7 p.m.

For more information, call 860-584-1750, email foodpantry@plymouthfoodpantry.org, or visit http://ift.tt/2fAt4dg.

Susan Corica can be reached at 860-973-1802 or scorica@bristolpress.com.