The 15th Annual Valley Has a Heart Spooner House food collection will be held on Saturday, March 4 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the lower Naugatuck Valley.
The food collections will take place at the three Stop and Shop stores in Ansonia, Seymour and Shelton. The goal of the event is to gather 5,000 non-perishable food items and $5,000 in cash to help restock the shelves as needed following the cold winter months and resulting dip in donations that follows after the holiday season has passed.
Click here for a list of the most needed food items this year.
“March is an important month to ignite the public’s interest in donating food for those in need,” explained Susan Agamy, Executive Director of Spooner House and the Valley Food Bank. “Giving generally decreases during the winter months when many who donate are not as mobile or willing to drive. That generally leaves our food pantry shelves depleted.”
Dworken, Hillman, LaMorte, and Sterczala, P.C. has agreed to be the site sponsor for the food drives in Ansonia and Shelton. In addition, Hairy Dog Grrrage specializing in Audi, Porsche and Volkswagen detailing and body repair and who recently relocated to Southbury, will be site sponsor of the Seymour location for the fifth year in a row.
The Stop and Shop stores where donations can be made are located at 100 Division St. in Ansonia, 15 Franklin St. in Seymour and 898 Bridgeport Ave. in Shelton.
There will be a friendly competition between the three Stop and Shop stores to raise the most dollars and non-perishable food items.
Shoppers at all locations will receive a Spooner House “Wish List” when they walk in the door with encouragement to donate on their way out. Anyone unable to make it to a store location on the day of the drive, may make a tax-deductible donation online through the following link to help Spooner House achieve their $5,000 goal:
www.bit.ly/VHAH2017
Volunteer groups assisting at the various Stop and Shops during the food drives include the following, assisted by Spooner House volunteers, staff and sponsors.
Ansonia Stop and Shop:
Holy Rosary in Ansonia’s Confirmation Class
Church of Assumption Youth Group
Seymour Stop and Shop:
Seymour United Methodist Church congregants
Young Emerging Professionals of the Greater Valley Chamber of Commerce
Shelton Stop and Shop:
Shelton High School National Honor Society
Youth Service Bureau’s “Youth2Youth” Peer Advocates
Deliveries of non-perishable food items are always accepted at Spooner House at 30 Todd Road seven days a week though anyone may set up a special time for food delivery by calling 203 – 225-0453 then dialing 102. Checks can be made payable to Spooner House and mailed to 30 Todd Road, Shelton CT 06484. Secure donations may also be made via PayPal by clicking on the Donate button at the bottom of the ACT Spooner House home page.
More detailed information can be found on the Spooner House website, www.actspooner.org.
Non-profit Area Congregations Together, Inc. (ACT) was formed in1979 to help fill gaps in the lower Naugatuck Valley’s social service network. Today, Spooner House is operated by ACT and is a facility that provides food, shelter and support services to approximately 175 men, women and children each year. More than 4,000 individuals have been served by the Food Bank this past year, comprising more than 120,000 meals. Spooner House is recognized as one of the most comprehensive emergency shelter programs in Connecticut and through its food bank provides ten days’ worth of groceries each month to participating families throughout the lower Naugatuck Valley. Spooner House is devoted to helping people establish self-sufficiency in an atmosphere of respect and dignity. Area Congregations Together, Inc. is a partner agency of the Valley United Way.
