On April 26, months of hard work put in by the Town of Montgomery Democratic Committee paid off as they distributed more than $1,000 worth of food to people at the town’s food pantry.

Committee member Daniel Atonna took the lead on the food drive, which secured food from 28 vendors. The food was gathered over the course of a month.

“We relied on Daniel because he volunteers there [at the Town of Montgomery Food Pantry]...,” said Faheem Haider, chair of the town’s democratic committee. “So he really knows what our community needs.”

One reason the food drive was held was to supply the pantry with healthy food in response to food insecurity caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Haider noted that although Montgomery is an up-and-coming town, some residents struggle to put food on the table.
“I think it’s important to celebrate that Montgomery is an up-and-coming town,” he said. “I think it’s important to congratulate ourselves on living better as a community. But at the same time I think it’s really, really important to look at what’s missing, what’s hidden in the shadows. And hunger is hidden in the shadows because I know for a fact there are people who come in every Wednesday to pick up food.”

The other reason the Democratic committee conducted the food drive was to honor their former chairman Ed Leonard who died last April. He was the chairman of the committee from 2015 until his passing on April 10, 2020. Leonard also served as a Village of Walden trustee for many years.

“He was the chairman of the committee and a beloved member of our community,” Atonna said.

“We wanted to make sure that on the anniversary of his passing, which was on April 10, that we dedicated a lot of our public work to one of the finest leaders Montgomery had,” Haider said. “We wanted to celebrate his commitment to the town.”

The Town of Montgomery Food Pantry is located at 2200 NY-208, Montgomery. Those interested in helping the pantry can mail money to PO Box 423 Montgomery, NY 12549. Food donations can be dropped off at the pantry during operational hours or at the Montgomery Post Office. The pantry is open from 10 a.m. to noon on Tuesday and from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesday. Any food is welcome, however the pantry is currently in dire need of instant potatoes, peanut butter, macaroni and cheese as well as canned soup.