Shoppers Open Their Hearts At Newtown Rotary Food Drive

NEWTOWN — Thanks to the generosity of shoppers at McCaffrey’s Market in Newtown, the shelves at the Wrightstown Food Cupboard are again brimming with food.

Stationed outside the market over the weekend, members of the Newtown Rotary Club handed out fliers asking shoppers to donate food for those from the area needing a "hand up."

And once again, shoppers responded in a big way, filling shopping carts with bags brimming with donations of food, from boxes of Cheerios to cans of soup canned vegetables.

Many also reached into their pockets and wallets donating hundreds of dollars in cash to the pantry, which will be matched, dollar-for-dollar, through the Gene and Marlene Humanitarian Fund up to $5,000.

The Rotary Club will continue to accept online donations through the end of this week through its PayPal account, which can be accessed on the club’s website at NewtownRotary.com or using the QR code below. You can also send a check to: Newtown Rotary Club, P.O. Box 123, Penns Park 18943 but please do it quickly so it is postmarked by Saturday.

Use his QR code to make an online donation to the food cupboard.

Shari Donahue, the co-owner of the Zebra-Striped Whale who has been organizing the drive for the past few years for the club, was happy with the response from shoppers.

“This has been the best one so far. It’s very heartwarming to see the generosity of people. It’s absolutely amazing,” she said.

The donations collected at McCaffrey’s will be distributed by the Wrightstown Food Cupboard, which is a joint mission of Anchor Presbyterian, Penns Park United Methodist, St. Mark’s Orthodox Church and Wrightstown Friends Meeting.

“This is fantastic,” said Mitch McIntire, who has run the cupboard for three decades. “The Rotary and the community always come through for us. The people in this area and the Council Rock community are fantastically generous. We’ve been doing this for 30 years and we have never taken any government assistance.”

McIntire said food and monetary donations are especially needed right now with SNAP benefits set to expire on Saturday due to the government shutdown.

Rotarians deliver donations to the Wrightstown Food Cupboard. (Jeff Werner/Patch)

In addition to receiving donations through the Rotary, school, and community organizations, the cupboard is supported by local businesses, including Zook’s Fresh Poultry at the Newtown Farmers Market, which donates thousands of dollars worth of food to the cupboard every year.

For three decades, the food cupboard has operated out of the Penns Park United Methodist Church at 2394 Second Street Pike in Wrightstown, offering a helping hand to individuals and families who need a hand up.

The food cupboard operates year-round, distributing food baskets at Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter and the Fourth of July. It is always in need of pasta sauce (jars), coffee, tea, juice, peanut butter and jelly in addition to personal products, including shampoo, toothpaste, Pampers, and paper towels.