Larchmont/Mamaroneck Food Pantry Update by President Malcolm Frouman
We have some meaningful updates to share with the community including our new indoor space and a substantial increase in food distribution. After conducting weekly outdoor walk-through distributions for a year at a tent in a parking lot in Mamaroneck, The Larchmont/Mamaroneck Food Pantry (formally called the Larchmont/Mamaroneck Hunger Task Force) has moved to an indoor space at 955 Mamaroneck Avenue in Mamaroneck. The solid roof provides welcome shelter for both our clients and volunteers. Continuing to follow strict health-safety protocols, we are distributing hundreds of additional bags of food weekly, compared to 450 bags twice monthly pre-pandemic. And we have increased the amount of food in the bags to meet the needs of those most affected by the crisis.
When Hurricane Ida struck, we provided ready-to-eat foods along with the usual nonperishable groceries for the many families in Mamaroneck who were either displaced from their homes or left without a working kitchen. We also arranged for weekly food trucks to provide free hot meals and distributed supermarket gift cards to those in greatest need.
Our Volunteer Coordinator has a list of over 800 local residents who offer their time on behalf of our mission. In addition to packing and distributing bags of food at our weekly food pantries, volunteers also conduct home deliveries of food to approximately 90 households of the elderly and infirm, including some infected with COVID-19. This represents more than twice as many home deliveries since the start of our pandemic response.
We have been able to meet the ever-increasing need for food assistance because of the caring support of residents of Larchmont and Mamaroneck. The generosity of our community, along with the selflessness of our many volunteers, has been heartening. If you would like to support this effort, you can donate funds via our website.