Residents looking to help their neighbors put some food on the table can help replenish the Clinton Food Pantry’s stock at the Stuff-a-Cruiser Food Drive hosted by Families Helping Families (FHF) and the Clinton Police Department on Saturday, April 1 at the Clinton Big Y from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

During the event – which will be held rain or shine – organizers will provide a list of nonperishable food the pantry needs. The food will be immediately delivered to the pantry. Monetary donations will also be collected and used by FHF to purchase food for the pantry.

“We try to put on our list things that might be on sale or the best bargains for shoppers. They simply shop and drop whatever they have purchased at our tables which will be outside at Big Y. We will load all the donations at the end of the food drive and deliver them to The Clinton Food Pantry,” said FHF president Miner Vincent.

“Through this program, FHF supplies much-needed fresh produce, nonperishable food items, and personal care items to the Clinton Food Pantry. In order to meet the growing number of Clinton families who have come to depend on The Clinton Food Pantry, FHF provides two deliveries of these much-needed items each week,” the release stated. Vincent said that since the COVID-19 pandemic started, FHF has donated over 235,000 pounds of aid.

Prior to the pandemic, the pantry was serving between 130 to 170 families weekly. Since the pandemic, Vincent said that number has grown to between 400 to 425 families utilizing the Clinton Food Pantry. Vincent said that this specific event brings in about 1,500 to 2,000 pounds of food.

In a press release, Vincent said that the organization has been helping the Clinton community for 17 years, and the Food for Clinton program is one of the organization’s most popular. Vincent said the stuff-a-cruiser partnership with the police department has been held for 12 years.