Greenwich residents who came to Town Hall for early voting this week discovered a new way to serve their community. A food donation bin, provided by the local nonprofit Neighbor to Neighbor, was placed inside the building for voters to fill with non‑perishable items.
Neighbor to Neighbor, which also runs a town food pantry, partnered with Republican Registrar of Voters Fred DeCaro III on the initiative. DeCaro said the bin “meets potential donors where they are” and expects a generous response from the electorate.
“We realize that we are going to have between six and 8,000 people who are going to come here to vote, and we know we have a very generous electorate,” DeCaro explained. He noted that 560 people had already voted on Monday, and the bin was filled after the first day of early voting.
Community response
Several voters shared their thoughts. Greenwich resident Sandra Walker, who runs an annual food drive for City Harvest in New York City, said she was sorry she had nothing to donate at the moment but pledged to bring food to the local food bank later. “I was sorry about that, but I will bring food to our local food bank,” Walker said.
Rev. Michael Murphy of St. Michael’s Church, which is organizing a separate food drive on Nov. 7, echoed concerns about rising costs. “Especially with the economy the way it is, it’s gotten very expensive to buy gas and food,” he said.
Impact and need
K. Brent Hill, executive director of Neighbor to Neighbor, highlighted the ongoing need in Greenwich. “We served over 900 households, approximately 2,200 individuals, and last year we saw a 14 % increase in clients we serve,” Hill said. He added that recent changes to eligibility for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) have also affected local families.
A recent report by Connecticut Voices for Children found that poverty levels across the state have risen above pre‑pandemic levels, citing reduced federal assistance and projected funding cuts as contributing factors.
Looking ahead
DeCaro said the town hopes the food‑drive model will continue in future elections. He recalled a similar effort in Bristol and a special‑election drive in 2020 that yielded positive results. “We’re now relying on social media to drum up awareness,” he said, acknowledging that some residents, including a local Roman Catholic priest, were unaware of the bin.
While the exact amount of food that will be collected remains uncertain, DeCaro expressed optimism. “If I get 14 bins worth of food for Neighbor to Neighbor, I’ll be really happy,” he said.
The donation bin will remain available at Town Hall through the early‑voting period ending Nov. 1, giving voters another opportunity to support their neighbors while exercising their civic duty.
Original reporting: The Connecticut Mirror — read the source article.
