The students were welcomed by Judy Douglas, a retired VES teacher and dedicated pantry volunteer, who gave them a behind-the-scenes look at how the pantry works. She explained how food donations are collected, how volunteers help families shop for what they need, and what it takes to keep everything organized, stocked, and running smoothly.

Each of the five first-grade classes brought in donations to contribute to the pantry. While each class worked on an activity, Mrs. Douglas weighed all the items and challenged the students to guess the total. The big reveal: Together, the VES first graders donated 276 pounds of food and supplies—an amazing contribution.

The visit wasn’t just about giving—it was also about discovering. Students took part in a hands-on inventory activity, exploring both the pantry shelves and the back room. They searched for different food groups and kept track using tally marks: fruits, vegetables, proteins, fats, and grains. Their findings? Every single category was well represented in the pantry.

Students also helped stock the shelves, placing donated items in the appropriate place. As they stocked, they noticed some unexpected items. When asked what surprised them most, one student exclaimed “fish!” after spotting canned salmon. Others were surprised to find items like Tide detergent and toothbrushes—great reminders that the pantry provides more than just food.

Students put their critical thinking skills to use when Mrs. Douglas showed them a photo of a “CANstruction” display from a fundraiser several years ago—a Batman logo made entirely out of canned goods. Mrs. Douglas turned it into a thinking challenge, asking students to figure out which types of canned foods were used to create each color in the design. As a fun follow-up, they learned that after the event, the pantry received a very large donation of black olives—since they were key to building Batman!

We’re so proud of the first graders for their thoughtful participation and generosity. We are already looking forward to having next year’s first graders visit the pantry.

If your organization is interested in hosting a drive, please review this tip sheet to learn how to schedule and plan a successful collection event. Email us at foodpantry.newscotland@gmail.com with subject FOOD DRIVE or click the contact us link on our website for additional information.

BSNB will be hosting its annual food drive and call for monetary donations across all its branches as part of the organizations annual efforts to assist those in need within our local Communities. Collection bins at local branches for non-perishable food items will be available from Monday October 21^st through Friday November 9^th. The Voorheesville Branch of BSNB will be collecting on behalf of the New Scotland Community Food Pantry, with all donations staying local to our Community. BSNB will also be accepting monetary donations at all locations, BSNB will match the total donations up to $2,500. Local donations may be made in the name of the New Scotland Community Food Pantry.

The Voorheesville BSNB Branch Office is located at:

13 Maple Road
Voorheesville, NY 12186

Phone: (518) 513-2000

The Pantry received many generous donations of fresh local produce over the 2019 growing season. We are grateful for the bountiful fresh produce to: Ed Brown from the Local farmers market: Tom George from Wildwood Programs; Neander Farms for their donation of gift certificates; and to St. Matthews Garden.

The Pantry’s annual school supply program was a great success! Stipends were awarded to 14 households, supporting the school supply needs of 22 children in grades K through 12 in our Community. We are grateful to our Community for their generosity as well as to our Caregivers for their assistance with coordinating this process!