* PLEASE NOTE THAT DUE TO THE COLD WEATHER ARRIVING, REGISTRATION NOW TAKES PLACE INSIDE. PLEASE DO NOT ARRIVE EARLY AS THIS MEANS YOU WILL BE WAITING IN OUR SANCTUARY WITH OTHER FAMILIES TO REGISTER. THE DOORS TO THE WAITING AREA WILL NOT OPEN UNTIL 1:30.
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, December 16, from 2:00 to 6:00 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 will be given a number when they enter through the front door and sent upstairs to the sanctuary. Beginning at 2:00, they will be registered when their number is called, and then allowed to select their food, limiting the number of families in the food pantry area 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 pantry asks for proof of residence for each household in the form of a current utility bill with physical address listed. In lieu of this, families may provide a current correspondence from a government agency or other official mail. Identification for each household member may consist of a driver's license, hospital card, insurance card, school issued id, social security id or birth certificate.
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 ask people to not arrive prior to 1:30, as numbers will not be available for you. If you do not have a vehicle, be sure to check in with the parking lot attendant to get a number for registration.
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 9:00 a.m. and noon today through Thursday to leave contact information (name, address, phone number) so arrangements for delivery can be made. A follow up call to complete registration will take place on Thursday.
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, January 10, from 5:30-7:30 p.m.
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