Person-to-Person Receives Support from the Communities of Darien, Norwalk and Wilton

To Help Stamp Out Hunger

 

The strength and compassion of the communities of Darien, Wilton and Norwalk were on full display on Saturday, May 11th, as volunteers, donors, and local letter carriers joined together to make a difference for neighbors struggling with hunger and food insecurity. This collective effort was in support of a one-day nationwide food drive hosted by the National Association of Letter Carriers, with all food donated in these three communities being delivered directly to Person-to-Person (P2P) food pantries in Darien and Norwalk.

The food drive resulted in the donation of 68,390 pounds of non-perishable food, which was quickly sorted by a team of more than 225 volunteers over the course of several days. Families, individuals, and groups worked together to unload and organize the food and stock the pantry shelves in both Darien and Norwalk locations. This annual event is the largest food drive of the year for Person-to-Person, and the variety of donations received helps to create more choice for clients who visit the pantry.

In addition to meeting tangible needs, this community event helps to raise awareness about the issue of food insecurity and the impact it has on children and families here in Fairfield County. In Fairfield County, 23% of households struggle to afford the basic needs of food, clothing, and shelter. Person-to-Person offers a wide range of services to help meet those needs, including providing food to more than 1,500 households each month. Ceci Maher, CEO of P2P said, “With the food received from this incredible community effort, Person-to-Person will be able to meet the increase need that arises each summer when children are out of school and parent’s budgets are further stretched to feed families. The food pantries are nearly empty leading up to the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive.”

This year’s food drive was an overwhelming success thanks to the hard work and dedication of local letter carriers in Darien, Wilton, and Norwalk, the hundreds of volunteers who came together, and the generosity of area residents who donated food. We are so grateful to be a part of such a caring and generous community, joining together to help our neighbors.