With the COVID-19 pandemic creating additional economic woes, people are stepping up to make sure the Clinton Food Pantry is adequately stocked. Families Helping Families (FHF) is helping to make sure there is enough food at the pantry and asking for more help, and two residents are stepping in to make helping FHF even easier.

“Last week they experienced a considerable increase in the number of families using the pantry,” said FHF President Miner Vincent.

The group donated 2,100 pounds of food on April 1. Vincent said that through a partnership with a wholesale food company, FHF has been able to purchase food at lower prices and larger qualities than available in supermarkets to be able to help meet the demand.

“With that buying power in mind, we are asking people to donate to FHF—this way we can make their donated dollars go further and we can buy more food,” Vincent explained.

One program FHF is using for donations is its Cans for Clinton Program, which provides nonperishable food items.

“We have also been in communication with Cheryl Church from Clinton Social Services and are ready to assist her in helping Clinton families in other areas where she identifies what type of assistance might be needed,” said Vincent.

To aid FHF and the food pantry, Clinton residents Paula Quick Heser and Jane Scully Welch have organized a food drive.

“The amount of need has increased dramatically over the last few weeks and it is projected to only get much worse,” the two stated in a release about the drive. “To compound the problem, many of our donating families are currently not working.”

To help, the pair is asking that residents take a bag to the grocery store and fill it with items like pasta, pasta sauce, rice, canned tuna, canned chicken, cans of vegetables, and personal hygiene items.

Once the bag is filled, donors can text Heser at 203-927-2480 or Welch at 860-510-2991 and leave the bag outside their home. Heser or Welch will come pick up the bag and deliver it to the pantry staging area.

For those nervous about going into the grocery store, the pair will also collect checks made out to FHF.

Direct donations can be made via the FHF website fhfclinton.org. Those seeking assistance can call Clinton Social Services at 860-669-7347.