Community Members Raise $2,000 For Local Food Pantries And Meals On Wheels

While the majority of the United States remains at home under stay-at-home orders, there are still many who have to go into work, where they are providing essential services. To show appreciation for not just the doctors and nurses, firefighters, EMTs, and police officers, but also recognize those who stock the shelves of grocery stores, cashiers who interact with customers, those who drop off meals, food, and crucial items to housebound residents, and others providing vital services, the East Hampton Clericus has donated $2,000 to local food pantries and Meals on Wheels.

The Clericus encompasses First Presbyterian Church of Amagansett, First Presbyterian Church of East Hampton, Hamptons Lutheran Parish, Jewish Center of the Hamptons, Montauk Community Church, Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church, St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, St. Michael’s Lutheran Church, St. Peter the Apostle Roman Catholic Church.

The idea was the brainchild of Rev. Leandra Lambert of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church and to support the efforts, Holly Thomas Whitmore rounded up a group of East Enders to assist with the fundraising. “This is an important action for us take, and we should honor all those who have given of themselves in support our community; we can donate funds to the food pantries in their names,” Thomas Whitmore explained.

As the number of East Enders that are furloughed or fired increases, local food pantries will become more and more stressed. With such uncertainty surrounding the next couple of weeks and months, the food pantries’ services will become vital for many.

“Those who live paycheck to paycheck and are now out of work may be only weeks away from not being able to feed their families,” Jeffrey Sussman noted. “It is essential that we take to heart the meaning of being ‘one’s brother’s keeper’ and turn those words into action. It’s an existential necessity.”

The $2,000 donation was split between the East Hampton Food Pantry (easthamptonfoodpantry.org), the Springs Food Pantry (www.springsfoodpantry.com), and Meals On Wheels (ehmealsonwheels.org).