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Community pantry benefits from a good harvest of food and cash

| 28 Oct 2015 | 03:38
    Volunteer Kelle Hankins unloads food donations collected at the Share the Harvest dinner for the Ecumenical Food Pantry on West Catherine Street in Milford Borough. (Photos provided)
    Volunteer Kelle Hankins unloads food donations collected at the Share the Harvest dinner for the Ecumenical Food Pantry on West Catherine Street in Milford Borough. (Photos provided)
    Milford Music Festival volunteers present $2,500 raised from Share the Harvest to food pantry director Nancy Potter and Father Van of the Church of the Good Shepherd
    Milford Music Festival volunteers present $2,500 raised from Share the Harvest to food pantry director Nancy Potter and Father Van of the Church of the Good Shepherd
    Volunteers deliver food donations collected at Share the Harvest to the Ecumenical Food Pantry.
    Volunteers deliver food donations collected at Share the Harvest to the Ecumenical Food Pantry.
    Part- goers donated the largest amount of non-perishable people and pet foods to date at this year’s annual Share the Harvest benefit dinner.
    Part- goers donated the largest amount of non-perishable people and pet foods to date at this year’s annual Share the Harvest benefit dinner.

To the Editor:
On Sept. 8, the Milford Music Festival held its 8th annual Share the Harvest dinner to benefit the Milford Ecumenical Food Pantry. At the season's most beloved charity event, 150 attendees enjoyed a full-course dinner with from Milford's finest kitchens and traded canned goods and other non-perishable food items for chances to win prizes donated by area businesses. By the end of the night, a van full of food was collected along with a cash donation of $2,500 to the pantry on West Catherine Street in Milford Borough. An additional donation of $750 was presented by Phoenix store owners Doug Cosh and Terry Talent on behalf of the fundraiser held at their Dingmans Ferry business this summer.

Share the Harvest committee members spent the summer piecing the event together and succeeded in hosting its biggest fundraiser to date. Volunteer Kelle Hankins organized restaurant participation and brought Manager Rocco Fasulo to the table with a generous cash and prize donation from the Westfall Walmart store. Milford resident and Music Festival Director Adriane Wendell and Willow shopkeeper Laura Staine solicited prizes from local merchants, and Milford Craft Show's Amy Eisenberg decorated the venue and emcee'd the Tuesday night party at St. Patrick's Church Hall.

Dinner was provided thanks to the generous contributions of: Chang Mao, Dunkin' Donuts, The Flying Pig Tea Room, Fretta's Italian Specialties, The Frisky Goat Coffeehouse, Hotel Fauchere and Patisserie Fauchere, Irene's Kitchen, John's of Arthur Avenue, Jorgenson's at The Dimmick, Key Foods Market, The Laurel Villa, Milford Dairy Bar, Tequila Sunrise, Village Diner, and The Waterwheel Café.

Prizes were donated by A+ Computer Repair, ACE Hardware, Action Bikes and Outdoor, Ambience Fine Furniture and Gifts, The Artisan Exchange, Badea and Soul Spa, Balch's, Books and Prints, Cliff Park Golf Course, Davis R. Chant Realtors, Denim or Lace, Enchanted, The Finnigans, Friends of Ray Tonkin, The Fork at Twin Lakes, Ghiggeri's Fine Oils and Balsamics, Golden Fish Gallery, Golden Gifts, The Grotto, Guy Corless, Happy Nails, Jack Wiliams Tire and Auto, Jen Murphy Fitness Studio, Lorraine and Skip Gregory, Harrington House Bed and Breakfast, Holy Crepes, Audrey Lanham, Marie Liu, MilfordNow, Milford Craft Show, Milford Style, Mount Haven, Matt Osterberg and Richard Caridi, Milford Pets Plus, Patina, The Phoenix, Ray's Auto Repair, Since Yesterday, TLC Salon and Spa, The Underground, Upriver, WalMart, Willow, Zaleski Optical.

Special thanks to Father Kelly, Wendy Luhrs and the St. Patrick's Church community for use of the church hall, Myer the Florist for providing the table decor, Leo B. for being the musician for the evening, and Food Pantry Director Nancy Potter and the food pantry volunteers for helping staff the party and for keeping the food pantry going year round for our neighbor's in need.

Amy Eisenberg
Share the Harvest