The Port Washington Association Girl Scouts held their annual food drive on December 2nd to stock the local food pantries at St. Peter’s 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 over 80 families in the Port Washington community.
The event was hosted by Senior Troops #411 and #424 and their Leaders Sona Hyde, Lillian Perulli, Jessica Day Griffin and Donna Russo. Along with 10 other troops, the Girl Scouts set up outside of 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, toothpaste, diapers, and baby wipes. And the end of the food drive the Girl Scouts purchased Stop & Shop gift cards with any remaining money.
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,” she said. “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.”
As a result of the food drive, each pantry received 350 bags of food. The Girl Scout collected over $1350 in monetary donations which were 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.
