Sandown Food Pantry- Generations of Service
Arlene Bassett has been in charge of the Sandown Food Pantry since 2013, when she took over from her sister-in-law, who founded the pantry. Along with an amazing group of volunteers, the Pantry and the Clothing Closet provide much needed help to those in the community.
Knowing that the food pantry needed additional space to better serve community needs, Arlene’s Grandson, Ben Winter, decided to tackle the expansion as part of his Eagle Scout project. Ben's goal is to add another storage unit which will attach to the back of the existing pantry building, which will double the space length wise. We are thankful for volunteers like Arlene and Ben who work together to create solutions for urgent community needs.
A few minutes before 10:00 a.m., we arrive at our community library, greeting each other with smiles, hugs, or pats on the back. We’re talkative and sometimes loud – not because we’re young and boisterous, but because we’re old with compromised hearing. Instead of fashion workout wear, we sport street clothes.
We’re the Bone Builders, a group of seniors who look forward to our time together the way we used to anticipate recess after sitting for hours in stuffy elementary school classrooms seven or eight decades ago. We range from 70-something to 90-something. Some come to class with a cane, others with a limp. And while the glass may appear half empty from the outside, to us, trading lively banter and joined in camaraderie, it seems half full.
Read more: Senior Class