Food pantry looking for donations

COLEBROOK — Colebrook Congregational Church’s community food pantry is looking for donations in order to help serve those in need in the community.

The food pantry has been supplying families in need with fresh and nonperishable food since 2015. 

The church has recently received a grant for renovations from the Colebrook Associates to create a more efficient storage space for the pantry. 

Pastor Jeffrey Smith said the pantry can always use donations.

“We can always use spaghetti, sauce, apple sauce, canned fish, meat, tuna, ham, chicken, jelly, jam and peanut butter,” Smith said.

Smith said volunteers at the food pantry are currently trying to collect items for school lunch boxes because 50 percent of those using the food pantry are children and teenagers. Smith said that any donations are welcome. However, for lunch boxes, healthier foods and snacks such as granola bars are preferred. He added that the food pantry also provides clients with fresh food items, so cash and gift cards are accepted. “We usually use Aldi’s in Torrington,” Smith said.

Smith said that he is very grateful for the support of the local organizations who help to keep the food pantry running.

“Every year the Colebrook School does food drives for us,” he said. “Panera Bread in Torrington has also been donating items to us every other week and Belle Hollow Farm has provided us with fresh eggs, to name a few.”

Collection bins can be found at the Post Office and in the Colebrook Congregational Church parking lot. Smith said they are “blue bins with yellow signs.”

“Every community in Connecticut, rich or poor, all have people who are hungry and undernourished,” Smith said. “It is important to take care of our neighbors.”