Elaine oversees the canned and non-perishable items for the food pantry, and the Grand Union (now Tops) supports the pantry by filling in perishable items such as milk, cheese, meat, eggs, bread, fresh vegetables and fruit. When the market sells those $1, $2, and $3 tickets that you can add to your grocery items, the money collected is kept in a special account and used for the Bolton food pantry and its recipients. You can also support the pantry by buying a Grand Union/Tops Gift Card in any amount, and bring it to Elaine.
There are other ways to support the pantry – especially if you are clearing out your local seasonal residence for the winter, consider dropping off extra canned and dry goods at the Chamber office. Anyone is welcome to donate non-perishable food items that are still under the sell-by date – there is no storage area available for perishable items. Consider purchasing some extra non-perishable items while you are doing your holiday grocery shopping.
If you know of anyone in need of these services who is not a resident of Bolton, there are over thirty Food Pantries, Soup Kitchens and Food Banks located in or near (within driving distance of) Glens Falls – a complete listing with addresses and phone numbers is available at www.homelessshelterdirectory.org – there are four free computers available for public use at the Bolton Free Library, and the Glens Falls Library has even more computers available for public use.
For other support services, any resident of Warren county is welcome to go to the Human Services building just north of Lake George to inquire about eligibility. The address is: 1340 State Route 9 Lake George, NY 12845, (518)761-6300. Sometimes you can get eligibility questions answered by telephone, or make an appointment to see someone in person. Many people on fixed or limited incomes are actually eligible for the Food Stamp and HEAP programs. Senior citizens can call the Office of the Aging for information (in the same Human Services building, at the same number 518-761-6300) or check with their local Senior Citizens groups.
What are your favorite ways to help people? Have you ever had friends or family be helped? Or been helped yourself? Please share your stories –
Penelope Jewell
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