Thank you for helping the hungry- Greenburgh residents respond! Resident picks up food and drops off the food

Thank you Greenburgh! Last week I posted on the town website and on social media a request to help Grace Episcopal Church in White Plains - which has a food pantry. The food pantry was short of food and supplies. A resident of Greenburgh, Stephen Franciosa volunteered his services - offering to pick up food donations from residents. He was inspired by the generosity of many Greenburgh residents. Here is his report. A big thank you to Stephen Franciosa for spending his Saturday driving around to pick up the food donations and having them delivered. He and the donors make our community a great place to live at PAUL FEINER

Stephen Franciosa , Secor Woods

Thankyou to our neighbors and their generosity

A while back Paul Feiner posted that a nearby church was in need of food. This church in White Plains, known as Grace Episcopal, helps the needy and less fortunate. Moreso because of this pandemic. It was clear to Paul that food donations were down and almost to nothing because NY churches and temples were closed. Paul thought it a good idea if we could find a way to bring food to the church in a safe way. One of his solutions was to pick up donations and bring to the church. Another was to publicly post and mention their needs. I volunteered because i have a pick up truck. So this past Saturday after receiving many calls I traveled throughout the town to neighbor’s homes. In the villages and in unincorporated Greenburgh. I met many new people that day. People like the family up on the hill off of Sprain Road where the mom came out with her kids twice each carrying filled bags and then boxes. This family almost filed up the whole back of the truck. Or the elderly couple on E. Hartsdale Avenue who came down from their apartment in an elevator pushing an overflowing shopping cart across Hartsdale Avenue to donate food. You could see the smiles through their masks. I thanked them both for their generosity and they remarked that they couldn’t think of a better way to spend their stimulus check. A couple in Hartsdale near the Secor Farm were outside when I pulled up to their home. They too loaded up the truck and also gave me an envelope for the church. Please know I handed it to the Church pastor in his hand. In Irvington I accepted donations from a nice family on North Ecker St. and a kind woman on South Buckout, both expressing well wishes for those receiving their donations. A woman who lives just up the road from Town Hall came out with bags of food. A family on Old Lane in Scarsdale that i communicated with by phone left their generous donation by their front door. In Ardsley families on Heatherdell came out to the road with donations and on Wood Ave in Hartsdale they left theirs by the lamp post. I can go on an on, and today a woman drove over from Scarsdale to my home and left many packages in my driveway for the church. I brought them today to the pastors home. Rev. Moronta thanked everyone. We thought about asking for their names to be used so we could recognize them. Some said they weren’t up for that, and I believe that sentiment covered the rest. The pastor and another man carried the food into the church loading up carts. They were both so thankful. I got a glimpse of a few of the people that rely on this food and other donations. Thats when this whole one day adventure became a win win win win, and win situation. A win for Paul for his idea worked, a win for the families that donated because they felt good doing so, a win for the church that they can continue their good work, a win for those that will benefit and a win for me. I slept good that night thats my win.