Doing more for those in need: Geneseo/Groveland Emergency Food Pantry
by D.E. Bentley –
The bright, prominently displayed sign on the front lawn of the Central Presbyterian Church (CPC), 31 Center St., Geneseo draws attention, as it should. For many area residents, it is a sign of hope. All are welcome! For everyone who has enough, or more that enough, the sign serves as a reminder of the hunger faced by many in communities across the Finger Lakes, throughout the US and around the world.
On a cold morning, I ventured in to learn more about the Geneseo /Groveland Emergency Food Pantry (GGEFP) that the sign advertises. It was shortly after Thanksgiving, a time when the pantry is often full, thanks to generous volunteers and contributors. Many of the people who shop here weekly – to help meet their families’ food needs – also received Thanksgiving deliveries and have adequate stores, for now. The pantry was quiet, which gave me some time to talk with co-coordinator Judith Hunter.
The Geneseo / Groveland Emergency Food Pantry has a long history of service to the Community. Like many food pantries, they have operated in and been supported by area congregations from the beginning. St. Mary’s Church, also in Geneseo, very generously offered pantry space in their basement for decades until November 2016, when the pantry reopened at Central Presbyterian. Continuing and expanding their thirty years of service to the community, the pantry now serves between 60-80 people each month, double what they could offer a year ago. The on site service options and support and nutritional guidance from Foodlink have also allowed the GGEFP to transition to a client-choice food distribution. Food donations come from many individuals, from community food drives, from area farmers and backyard growers and from Foodlink.
Like many area community food providers, the Geneseo / Groveland Emergency Food Pantry is able to do more for those in need as a result of their alliance with Foodlink and Hunger Prevention and Nutrition Assistance Program (HPNAP) funding. Foodlink provides food to pantries across the upstate NY region and Rochester, NY. For more than 30 years, HPNAP has provided state and federal funds to improve the quality of food distributed to an estimated 2,500 Emergency Food Relief Organizations (EFRO) in New York State, including food banks, food pantries, soup kitchens and emergency shelters, collectively providing more than 239 million meals each year to people who are in need. At GGEFP, an HPNAP grant for the purchase of updated refrigeration has expanded the variety of fresh perishables available to include more produce, dairy, eggs and frozen meats. The Avon Food Pantry is now using the older refrigeration units, helping them to also transition to a client-based model of food distribution, with more available fresh food options for those they serve.
As with all the pantries we visited, the GGEFP is made possible through community contributions, including the generous support of many, many dedicated volunteers. In many cases, as was the case for Judith Hunter, the program co-coordinator I spoke with, small roles gradually lead to greater involvement. When one person steps down, others miraculously step forward to do more, continuing the mission.
Volunteers contribute either on a regular basis or for periodic service projects. The pantry’s transition to on-site food distribution has helped in retaining and further expanding the number of volunteers able to contribute. Deliveries were often very last minute, including night hours, and required confident drivers with cars. With onsite service and set distribution hours, volunteers can schedule specific service hours around other life responsibilities.
The move also inspired an Eagle Scout project focused on modifying the new location to better meet the program’s space needs and contributions during set up from Boy Scout Troop 70. Various other youth groups, service groups from SUNY Geneseo coordinated through the Office of Student Volunteerism and Community Engagement and many other community-based volunteers too numerous to name all contribute to the Pantry’s mission of serving those in need.
As they grow into their new home, the Geneseo / Groveland Emergency Food Pantry continues to evolve to better meet the community’s needs. In addition to offering their open client-choice pantry on Tuesdays and Thursday (10-2) and Wednesday (4-6:30), they deliver holiday meals to families (referred by Department of Social Services (DSS) and area schools). To further expand their food choices, the pantry has started to build an on site a garden at Central Presbyterian Church to grow fresh produce. Thanks to community donations and volunteer support, raised beds have been established and the garden will begin production Summer 2018. As with all aspects of the pantry’s operation – past, present and future – none of this would be possible with out community-
If you would like to learn more or assist in the GGEFP’s mission, you can visit and speak with Betsy Matthews (Pantry Coordinator) at the Geneseo/Groveland Food Pantry, 31 Center St., Geneseo, or by calling them at 585- 243-1141. Financial contributions can be mailed to Geneseo/Groveland Food Pantry, 31 Center St., Geneseo, NY 14454.