(Clinton, NY – July 2013) Sodexo Senior Living at LutheranCare has made a $1,000 donation to the Country Pantry. Pictured from left: Beverly Covell, Country Pantry Assistant Coordinator; Mary Zimbler and Cindy Caggiano.
Through Sodexo Foundation’s efforts to end domestic childhood hunger, Cindy Caggiano, general manager of Sodexo was able to present a $1,000 check to Country Pantry coordinator Mary Zimbler.
The Country Pantry, now in its 38th year, serves those in need in Clinton, Clark Mills, Westmoreland and New Hartford. The number of families served on a regular basis has risen substantially over the years and is currently at 161, representing 500-plus local men, women and children in need of food supplies.
Upon receiving the donation Zimbler said, “We’ve seen an enormous increase in demand due to the recent flooding in the area. We are now serving, at least on a temporary basis, more than 625 individuals…People who have never had to rely on assistance, are now seeking help to feed their families. Their stories are heart-breaking.”
In addition to food, volunteers at the Country Pantry provide assistance to individuals and families applying for services like HEAP and food stamps. The pantry operates from the Church of the Annunciation on East South Street in Clark Mills and those in need of support are encouraged to stop in.
Working to fight hunger is part of Sodexo’s global STOP Hunger initiative and its overall effort to support the communities in which it operates. Sodexo Foundation (www.SodexoFoundation.org) is the company’s nonprofit charitable arm, which has a mission to ensure that every child in the United States, especially those most at-risk, grows up with dependable access to enough nutritious food to enable them to lead a healthy, productive life.