The Heavenly Food Pantry, located at the First Congregational Church on Main Street in Essex Junction, will be open to families residing in Essex, Essex Junction and Westford on Thursday, August 26, from 2-6 p.m. Families visiting the pantry will be welcome to return to "shopping for food" inside the church building. We will be allowing family members (1 per family) to enter the church building ON A LIMITED BASIS. Families arriving will be registered outside and allowed inside for food, limiting the number of families in the building to 4 at any one time. A volunteer will greet and escort them around the pantry, allowing them to make selections of their choosing. After food is gathered, it will be weighed (information for pantry use only) and another volunteer will bring the food to the family's vehicle. Shopping carts will be made available for those within walking distance of the pantry.
The Food Pantry requests that those visiting the pantry (as well as the volunteers) remain masked when the pantry is open for food distribution. We also request that people remain in their vehicles until it is their time to register.
We are excited to welcome families back to a semblance of our normal operations, and look forward to people having a more personal food shopping experience. As usual, there are no income requirements to visit the food pantry and a variety of food is available to everyone; however, additional food is provided by the USDA to eligible families who fall below federally mandated guidelines.
Families not able to attend the pantry may call the Church office at 878-5745 between 8:30-2 to leave contact information so arrangements for delivery can be made.
Families are currently able to visit the pantry each time it is open-on the 2nd Monday of the month from 5:30-7:30 p.m. and the 4th Thursday of the month from 2:00-6:00 p.m. (except for November and December when it is the 3rd Thursday).
The next food pantry distribution will occur on Monday, September 13, from 5:30-7:30 p.m.
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