Friendship House News.

Our Pantry has been busy.

Over the past four months, our Food Pantry has continued to see increased need in the community for food pantry assistance. On average, 33 new families come to Friendship House Food Pantry every month. As our family list continues to grow, we have also seen a steady increase in visits with three of the past four months having above 600 visits per month. These trends are not unique to Middlesex and surrounding communities.

On September 27th, the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health was convened; the first such conference in 50 years. It reported that in 2021, 1 in 10 households experienced food insecurity, meaning their access to food was limited by lack of money or other resources. Nearly 4% of households in 2021 experienced very low food security, meaning they were regularly skipping meals or reducing their intake because they could not afford more food.

Nationally, the "White House National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition and Health" report provides a road map to end hunger, improve nutrition and health by 2030.

Here on the local front, Friendship House is committed to provide nutritious food for families in need and with your help and support, we will succeed.

Volume 2 - Issue 8 November 2022

Good things are happening here.

“Since June, the Pantry has averaged 613 visits per month”
— Craig Car, Food Pantry Manager

The “White House National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition and Health” is available at www.whitehouse.gov.

  • Thanksgiving Meals

    It may seem like fall weather has just arrived but we are already planning for the Thanksgiving Meal Program. Sign up is now open in the Food Pantry. An online sign up will be available after October 8th on our website and Facebook Page.

    For this program you must reside in the Marcus Whitman School District to participate. you only need to sign up once - either in person at the Food Pantry or online.

  • New York State of Health Enrollment

    If you have health insurance through NY State of health (such as Medicaid, Child Health Plus, Essential Plan, etc.), open enrollment period begins on November 16th. Wish you had halp picking the right plan for you and your family? A NY State navigator can walk you through the enrollment process.

    We are happy to be able to offer an on-site navigator to help you with the enrollment process this year. Amanda, a NY Navigator, will be at Friendship House from 11 - 2pm every other Friday starting on October 21st. Please take advantage of her expertise - it’s a great help and it’s free to you.

Christmas is coming.

As fall colors and crisp air welcome in a new season, the Friendship House Volunteers are preparing for their busiest time of the year. This year is no exception. Plans are in the works for another wonderful Santa Sunday for our "kid-shoppers" to be held on November 27th. And, keeping with tradition, our Christmas Program preparations will soon begin.

The Christmas Program at Friendship House serves area families and provides for stockings and gifts for children, a handmade quilt and a meal for the whole family. Families register ahead of time indicating their family size and Christmas wishes of their children. In 2021, this program provided Christmas wishes for 210 children and meals for 500 people.

Needless to say, the program requires some planning, dedicated volunteers, donations of toys and a whole lot of time to get everything ready. Would you like to help? Read below for more information on donations and...we can always use more "Santas" (volunteers)!

About Donations.

Over the months of November and December our volunteers will be preparing for all the special holiday Programs. For this reason, we won't be taking any Thrift Shop donations during these two months.

We will be welcoming donations specifically for the Christmas Program such as new toys, candy canes, and stocking stuffers. Please also look for our Giving Trees in local businesses beginning in November.

“There are wonderful people in this community that help make our Christmas Programs possible. Some involve their children and grandchildren in picking out toys to donate. It teaches a great lesson in generosity and we are so thankful for the donations. ”
— Cathy Guattery, Thrift Shop Manager

  • Welcome

    Friendship House warmly welcomes our new volunteers! This month we have three new faces joining our volunteer ranks.

    Please join us in welcoming:

    Denise Brown

    Juanita Porter

    Gail King

  • Help is just a call away

    Keep us in mind if you know of someone needing Emergency Help. Our staff and volunteers can pull together everything from food to clothing and housewares in an emergency and everything is given free. Keep our number handy just in case:

    585-554-6056

  • Hunter's Gear

    Attention Hunters! The Thrift Shop has just put hunting clothing and gear out for sale. We have shirts, thermals, gloves, Thinsulate items, firestarters, calls, hats and more. If you’re getting ready for the season, stop by to get some gear at great prices.

A Few Quick Notes.

Thank you, Thank you! Friendship House benefits from generous donations and this summer has been no exception. We thank you for donations of food, produce, items for the Thrift Shop and monetary donations. It all helps keep food on our shelves for families in need.

Watch for the Thrift Shop Specials. We have been posting cool "Specials" on our Facebook page. The "Specials" are new, still in the box items that are offered at amazing prices. Invoices can be paid through PayPal or by credit card. Keep watch, we might have just what you need!

Do you share our passion for helping families in need? Consider supporting Friendship House with a donation. You can even make your donation online by using the button below. Every donation helps provide food to a family in need. Thank you.

“Help others without any reason and give without the expectation of receiving anything in return.”

— Roy T. Bennett