The Port Washington Association Girl Scouts held their annual food drive earlier this month to stock the local food pantries at St. Peter’s of Alcantara and Our Lady of Fatima.
The Girl Scouts set up tables outside of King Kullen and Stop & Shop and distributed orange shopping bags to shoppers. Each orange bag had a list of food pantry staples that were needed.
As a result of the food drive, each pantry received 100 bags of food and $250 in gift cards.
The food pantries support the Port Washington community and the 25 religious organizations in town. The pantries have had an increase in regular clients since Hurricane Sandy when it became apparent that there are many more families in need in Port Washington than initially known.
Port resident, Clare Masi, started the food pantry movement with the orange shopping bags 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,” Masi said. “When you fill an orange bag you are directly helping families in our community.”
