Another Successful Food Drive For Port Washington Girl Scouts

The annual food drive organized by the Port Washington Association Girl Scouts collected hundreds of bags of food to support local food pantries.

As a result of the drive, which was held on Dec. 2, three local food pantries will each receive 350 bags of food: the local food pantries at St. Peter's of Alcantara and Our Lady of Fatima and the personal care pantry at the Lutheran Church of Our Savior.

More than $1,350 in monetary donations were also collected and used to purchase personal care items and gift cards.

"The donations the Girl Scouts collect will keep the pantries well supplied through the end of February,” Port Washington Outreach Coordinator, Clare Masi, said. Masi started the food pantry movement in 2012 to help families in the Port Washington Community.

The Food Pantries and Personal Care Pantry support over 80 families in the Port Washington community.

The event was hosted by Senior Troops #411 and #424 and their Leaders Sona Hyde, Lillian Perulli, Jessica Day Griffin and Donna Russo. The Girl Scouts, along with 10 other troops, distributed orange shopping bags and a list of needed food pantry items outside Stop & Shop. The girls also asked for monetary donations which were used to buy personal care items such as paper towels, toothpaste, diapers and baby wipes.

"The orange bag was designed to inform our community that hunger exists." Masi said. "When you fill an orange bag you are directly helping families in our community."

The Girl Scouts thanked Shop & Shop for allowing them to hold their annual food drive outside their store and Clare Masi for her help, direction and guidance.

Images via Port Washington Association of Girl Scouts

• Junior Girl Scouts handing out orange bags
• At the end of the day Girl Scouts pose with the last car load to transport to the Food Pantries
• The Personal Care Pantry filled with donations
• St. Peter’s Food Pantry filled with food donations