Let’s Stuff The Bus!

Many thanks to our wonderful transportation department for supporting Stuff the Bus. Each year a driver and a bus brave the weather in a parking lot on a cold winter day to collect donations for this community effort.  Our Thanks to The Walton Big M and Margaretville Freshtown for hosting us with their locations. Last but certainly not least a very special thanks to the staff and self-advocates that help with this event every year in a myriad of ways including greeting the donors at the donation sites.

Winter Storms Won’t Keep Us Down!

Our very first real storm of any significance and snowfall put a “day of” celebration on hold but no worries, we are excited and ready to Stuff The Bus on Monday, February 4th with food to help stock local food pantries and a backpack program. Everyone here at The Arc gets a great feeling from knowing we can help. Many households benefit from food pantries and the weekend backpack program.

 

Stuff the Bus! will take place on February 4rth from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the following locations:

Walton Big M ~
Stuff the Bus at this location to support The Walton Food Pantry and The Weekend Backpack Program at WCS.

Margaretville Freshtown ~
Stuff the Bus at this location to support The Margaretville/Arkville Food Pantry and the Catskill Mountain Christian Center Food Pantry.

For a list of items generally needed at these food pantries read this  Stuff The Bus Handout of Food Items flyer.

You are also welcome to leave your donations between now and the event at the following Arc locations:

~ CLS-Walton (149 Townsend St., Walton)
~ CLS- Arkville (393 Co. Hwy. 38, Arkville)
~ RFI (Route 206, 190 Prospect Ave, Walton)
~ The Arc’s main office. (on State Route 10, Hamden)

The Weekend Backpack Program at Walton Central School is a program born from a recognition that many students who are provided healthy meals through the school lunch program go home to very little food and snacks on the weekend. What to do when you recognize that learning and a chance at life success depend minimally on having adequate food? Send snacks home to those in need, of course! About 30 students are sent home each weekend with snacks to help support them through the weekend. These items are graciously stuffed inside students backpacks before they leave on Friday. Great communities doing great things! You can see a list of what items are most beneficial to pack in a backpack on this Stuff The Bus Handout of Food Items flyer.

 

The Walton Food Pantry has benefitted many during the holiday season and beyond! Eighty-Nine Christmas baskets were given away this year and the pantry supports between 50 and 60 households monthly. Your contributions to stuff the bus are put to good use and appreciated by everyone!

 

The Margaretville/Arkville Food Pantry provides a much-needed service as well as providing food for 80 to 90 households every month.

 

The Catskill Mountain Christian Center Food Pantry plays a vital role in providing proper nourishment to the members of its communities as well, supporting about 300 families per month.

 

These food pantries throughout our community are essential to wellness in the financial climate of our beautiful county. We honor and respect all they do to help those in need and are so happy we can be of assistance. Recognizing that supporting those in need is an ongoing effort of communities and not just a once a year event, lends to a philanthropic effort to be there in a time of need. The Arc of Delaware County feels great about supporting these ongoing efforts through our food pantries and Weekend Backpack programs.

 

We hope to see you on the 4rth!