the annual food drive
By Sona Hyde
The Port Washington Association Girl Scouts held their annual food drive on Dec. 5. The drive helps stock the local food pantries at St. Peter of Alcantara and Our Lady of Fatima and the personal care pantry at the Lutheran Church of Our Savior. The food pantries and personal care pantry support more than 80 families in the Port Washington community.
The event was hosted by Senior Troop #424 and their leaders Jessica Day Griffin and Donna Russo. Along with six other troops, the Girl Scouts set up tables outside Stop & Shop and distributed orange shopping bags and a list of food pantry staples that were needed. The girls also asked for monetary donations, which were used to buy personal care items such as paper towels, toilet paper, shampoo, toothpaste, diapers and baby wipes. At the end of the food drive, the Girl Scouts purchased Stop & Shop gift cards with any remaining money.
food donations to a Brownie
Troop #443 member
Port Washington Outreach Coordinator Clare Masi started the food pantry movement in 2012 with the idea of helping families in the Port Washington community.
“The orange bag was designed to inform our community that hunger exists. When you fill an orange bag you are directly helping families in our community. The donations the Girl Scouts collect will keep the pantries well-supplied through the end of February,” said Masi.
As a result of the food drive, each pantry received 100 bags of food. The Girl Scouts collected more than $700 in monetary donations, which was used to purchase personal care items and gift cards.
The Girl Scouts would like to thank Shop & Shop for allowing them to hold their annual food drive outside their store and to Clare Masi for her help, direction and guidance.
