1st Presbyterian Church Infuses Neighbor to Neighbor Capital Fund

Greenwich’s food and clothing bank Neighbor to Neighbor has received another large donation to its capital campaign to fund construction of a new facility.

First Presbyterian Church of Greenwich will donate $100,000, Neighbor to Neighbor announced Wednesday. The gift is part of a bequest designated for use on a capital project.

Neighbor to Neighbor Executive Director Nancy Coughlin said, “We are so grateful to First Presbyterian Church for this very generous gift and for their many years of supporting Neighbor to Neighbor’s work. This bequest will further our mission of providing food and clothing in a dignified atmosphere for our clients.”

Coughlin added, “We consider First Presbyterian Church to be a true partner and this project’s roots lie in their supportive encouragement.”

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The gift will support the campaign to build a two-story structure on the campus of Christ Church Greenwich. The building will be called The Steven and Alexandra Cohen Center for Neighbor to Neighbor and will house the nonprofit organizations operations, including a food pantry and clothing room. The Cohens donated $1.5 million to the project in October.

Christ Church Greenwich has dedicated a parcel of land on their property to build a two-story freestanding facility of approximately 6,000 square feet. In April, the state of Connecticut awarded a Small Town Economic Assistance Program (STEAP) grant of $250,000 for the project.

The new building will be fully ADA compliant, allowing all clients to take advantage of the client choice method of shopping. It will improve storage space and the experience of donors dropping off new and gently used items, and provide a warm and welcoming place for all visitors. The food pantry workroom will be named for First Presbyterian Church.

“First Presbyterian members have loved volunteering in the clothing center and the food pantry at Neighbor to Neighbor for many years,” said Mission Committee member and Neighbor to Neighbor liaison Bev Jomo. “Thanks to a mission bequest from former member Edna Anderson, we can now make a significant contribution toward the building of a much needed and exciting new home for this vital Greenwich organization. Let’s get this done!”

Neighbor to Neighbor is Greenwich’s only food and clothing pantry, that provides healthy food at no cost to low-income area residents, including a weekly food program for Greenwich residents, an emergency food program for Stamford and Port Chester residents, and a summer lunch program for Greenwich students eligible to receive free and reduced price meals during the school year. Neighbor to Neighbor provides 325,000 meals annually to over 660 local families. The clothing room provides good quality in-season clothing, linens, blankets, towels, books, diapers, and household items to over 2,600 low-income residents of Greenwich, Stamford and Port Chester and a prom dress distribution each spring.

Contributed photo. First Presbyterian Church volunteers at Neighbor to Neighbor.