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According to Susan Zelman, Norwalk site manager, various volunteer groups have been spending time at Person-to-Person in Norwalk, stapling suggested shopping lists of non-perishable food to paper grocery bags.
“We have 25,000 shopping bags and lists for postal customers in Norwalk and 8,000 for Wilton,” she said. “We’ve made arrangements for at least 150 Wilton High School freshmen to volunteer on the day of the drive.”
Zelman said some of the students are to be stationed at the Wilton Post Office to offload donations from postal trucks and move them to the Person-to-Person truck for transport. Others are to be stationed at the South Norwalk Community Center to receive and sort donations.
Two days after the drive, on Monday, May 16, volunteers from Pepperidge Farm are to sort and inventory the donations before transporting them back to the Person-to-Person’s Norwalk site.
“Working to reduce food insecurity in Norwalk and surrounding communities is a challenge best met with the help of others, so we are grateful for the collaborative assistance of the Wilton High School students and Pepperidge Farm employees,” Zelman said.
According to Zelman, an estimated 9 percent of people are living in poverty in Norwalk, 2.7 percent in Weston, 3.7 percent in Westport and 2.5 percent in Wilton. Each week, more than 150 individuals and families shop at the Norwalk pantry for enough food to prepare three meals a day for seven days, she said.
Residents interested in leaving donations are urged to leave a bag of groceries at their mailbox on Saturday, May 14, or drop them off at their local Norwalk or Wilton post offices.
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