Guests Served:  Saturdays from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m.

Food Pantry Location: 
2 Ferry Road
Old Lyme, CT 06371
First Congregational Church

Welcome to the Old Lyme Food Pantry! If you are currently living in these towns that we serve; Madison, Clinton, Killingworth, Old Saybrook, Chester, Ivoryton, Deep River, Essex, Old Lyme, Lyme, and East Lyme you are welcome to shop with us.

Our goal is to give out three days' worth of food. We give out canned goods, packaged food, fresh produce, meat, eggs, dairy, bread and other grocery items.

Volunteering
If you would like to volunteer with us , please call 860-388-1988.

Audrey Brainerd is our pantry manager.
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10/01/2022
It's the little things


Sometimes it's the little things that make all the difference! There were heavy downpours during Old Lyme's Saturday pantry distribution. The canopy setup was leaking water on the tables & ramp, but our wonderful volunteer, Kathy, grabbed her car squeegee and it helped keep cardboard boxes dry & moving down the ramp--all essential to getting groceries to guests' vehicles! Thanks to all of these smiling volunteers!

09/22/2022
SSKP Drivers


Our SSKP drivers, Zach and Dave, from last Thursday in Old Lyme. I think they both at least sort of smiled because it was the end of a very rainy & windy delivery day!

05/23/2022
Dedication!!

Friday morning baggers Rosemary, Angie and Liz. All three have been with me every week since the beginning of the pandemic- and for many years before.



5/23/2022 
Our Amazing Ramp Crew


Every Thursday afternoon in Old Lyme, Tim, Tony, Bob, Steve and Bob – our amazing, essential “ramp crew” – work diligently to get food orders off of the SSKP truck and into the pantry. Due to steep stairs, the very heavy ramp (pictured) is assembled, and a few thousand pounds come whizzing down and around the corner, are lifted onto carts, or hand-carried to different pantry locations. The men work together to fill fridges, freezers, shelves and perform all sorts of necessary tasks – and they do it all with a smile, often while sharing a story or a few laughs. We’re so proud to have such a strong, dedicated crew who work in rain, snow or shine! Thank you!

5/14/2022
The Best Bread Guys

(L-R) Rich and Bill unloading early morning bread pickups today, 7:30am, from Bill’s trailer

5/14/2022 
Volunteers Just Wanna to Have Fun!

Top to bottom: Bill, John, Gary, Kathy, Sharon goofing around during our first break this morning, 10am

4/16/2022 
Easter Baskets!!

Kathy, David, Rich and Bill with Easter Baskets for distribution 

Oak Ridge Forest Association

 Many thanks to our friends and neighbors at the Oak Ridge Forest Association in Old Lyme, who collected and delivered 502 pounds of food for the Old Lyme Pantry! We are very grateful for your time and effort, and for all of the wonderful, sought-after items we received. You made a great difference in your community! Thank you!

Here is a "snapshot" of the Old Lyme Pantry volunteers in November of 2014:

 Guerdy Germain

Years helping at the Pantry: 2

Job: I'm trained to work at all the areas - that way I can fill in where needed. Today I'm handing out the meat and setting up the vegetables.

Favorite thing: I like interacting with the families - it uplifts your morning when they give you a smile!

How did you join the Team? My Mom helps out here, too. I used to go with her to church on Sundays, but now I work on Sunday so we do this together instead.

Fun Fact: I love to work on cars. I like to help people out when they need help fixing their cars.

 Kathy Campanaro

Years helping at the Pantry: 4

Job: I'm giving out the bananas today. I started helping at Old Saybrook Pantry and came to the Old Lyme Pantry about a year ago.

Favorite thing: I like talking to people and getting to know them. Sometimes they just need a nice "hello - how are you doing?". They like to know that you remember them.

How did you join the Team? I was a guest originally. After that, I wanted to help. When I was in really great need the food pantry was a lifesaver.

About You: I love to garden, and I love my grandkids. I have two that are 17 and one that is 8.

 Mark Whelen

Years helping at the Pantry: 6

Job: On Fridays I make up a cart of the most popular items - then at the distribution I help re-stock so nothing runs out.

Favorite thing: The clients - meeting the clients is my favorite thing. We get a lot of people here, and you get to know them.

How did you join the Team? I saw an ad in the Shoreline Times.

About You: I also volunteer at Christ the King Church, and help clean up for them after Mass.

 

Volunteers at work

 Lily Hartmann, senior at lOL High School and president of the Student Leaders Club, raised money from a lip sync contest.

Thank you Joan Ryan and Barbara Farmer (Co-Presidents of the Lyme Tree Woman's Exchange) for a $1,000 donation!
Pictured left to right:  Joan Ryan, Sherrie Weiss, Jenn Cusack, Barbara Farmer.

Students from the Lyme School Senate collected and donated 860 pounds of food recently.  They even carried it in and weighed it all!  They took a tour of the Old Lyme facility and asked lots of great questions!  Thank you!




Thanks to Lisa O'Brien and family and friends who held a food drive at Gnazzo's Grocery Store in Plainville on Sunday, November 4.  Here are photos of food collected.  The truck was on loan from CT Tool.  Thanks to all involved.




Frank Sablone donated 110 pounds of food from his 9th birthday party, as well as a $10 check.   Frank is a 3rd grader at Lyme Consolidated School in Lyme.  Thank you!

Note our Easter basket donation - Many thanks!