Annual Conshystuff Food Drive – How YOU Can Help

Annual Conshystuff Food Drive – How YOU Can Help

10/21/2020

by Brian Coll

Thank You. Thank you for checking out this story, post or article, whatever you want to call it thank you. Let’s look at it as a way to help your community.

I am going to be blunt. The Colonial Neighborhood Council needs our help. We ask this every year around this time and throughout the year in all reality. This year, well, it’s 2020… so of course this is a unique year. It’s unique in more than one way. I can almost guarantee that you know someone who has struggled this year, more than in years past. People are out of work, young families have children at home eating more than normal for some reason. So many people have lost their jobs, maybe their second job. This is the time of year we can help our neighbors. We can restock the pantry at the Colonial Neighborhood Council. Here’s the thing though…. we have to do this differently this year. What does that mean…. we’re throwing away the scale, we’re not weighing the donations this year. We’re doing this to save a step, save time on the volunteers. Less time weighing the food, more time to sort it. We also need to be selective in what is donated (we’re not turning anything away) we’re just trying to make it easy on the very limited crew at the Colonial Neighborhood Council. With that being said, let’s focus on gift cards, so the staff can buy what is needed when it’s needed. (Giant, Weis, Whole Foods, Target, BJ’s) If you’re shopping, lets focus on proteins (canned hearty soups, tuna, canned meat, peanut butter) sides, such as mac and cheese, rice packets, instant mashed potatoes. Pasta sauce, jelly and gravy. Canned fruit, diapers for young families, cereal. Please… at this time, no green beans, corn, peas. These items are currently in good shape.

Where can you take these items? In years past we have spread out through the community. We’ve had collection points in local businesses, however this year, we are not doing that. We ask that you take items directly to the Colonial Neighborhood Council located at 107 East 4th Ave. There are collection bins in the rear of the building for your food donations (please use common sense, if you have a pick up truck worth of food to drop off, please reach out to Sandi at the Colonial Neighborhood Council to arrange a drop off time. If you have cases of pasta sauce, maybe they don’t need to be dropped into a slot…

If you are considering gift cards, and don’t feel comfortable dropping them into a large bin, feel free to drop off at Coll’s Custom Framing if you miss the limited hours at the Colonial Neighborhood Council.

Events, yes, yes there are some events to go along with this years food drive.

The 8th annual Kick Off Party hosted by the Hussey Group. This year we are having this wonderful event at the Conshohocken VFW Post 1074. Wednesday October 28th from 4-6. Bring your food donations, stick around for some light refreshments. The VFW has a tented area for a social distancing event.

To go along with the kick off party, bring your little ones for a Conshohocken Kindness challenge. We’re going to create signs and we will place them around the borough. You or your children can write encouragements, kind words, a reason to smile… we’ll provide the signs and markers and maybe even a few ideas.

Saint Philip Neri is hosting their annual Fill a Bus, this year with a slightly different approach. November 8th at the parish. Normally it has been an entire weekend at the church and a week at school. This year they are focusing on a few items, so the staff at the Colonial Neighborhood Council doesn’t get overwhelmed sorting the thousands of pounds that the Saint Philip Neri Parish community normally collects (thank you)

That brings us to this:

This was posted by a friend of mine on Facebook and it stuck with me, and this in turn is what we are asking of you.

We’re asking for specific things, we appreciate you looking over the few things we are asking for and focus on them. We are asking, if you are cleaning out your pantry at home, please do not send expired items to the Colonial Neighborhood Council. These items are not allowed to be given out. The board of health regularly visits the Colonial Neighborhood Council and expired items can not be on the shelves. Please save the few volunteers that are currently allowed on site the valuable time of checking every label. (They have to anyway, but anything we can do to save time)

We know we are asking a lot of you. We can’t thank you enough for even considering helping out your neighbors in need.

Thank you, we are so proud to be part of this amazing community.