September 10, 2020 – Shelton, CT – During the summer, Edgewell Personal Care partnered with Valley United Way to raise over $6,000 for 5 local food pantries serving Ansonia, Derby, Oxford, Seymour, and Shelton.
Seymour Oxford Food Bank
When the Coronavirus caused the local economy to shut down in early spring, the local pantries in the area immediately saw an increase in individuals needing their services. As people lost income, their jobs, and children were at home needing to be fed, putting food on the table became a challenge for many families in the region.
By the time summer came around, the need was even greater for these families and pantries were scrambling to keep up. Employees at Edgewell, whose corporate office is located in Shelton, CT, heard about the need and reached out to the Valley United Way to find out how they could make a difference in the community. Cheryl Amicone of Edgewell, who led the campaign said “The colleagues at Edgewell have always been extremely generous, and this opportunity was no exception. We are fortunate to be able to contribute to the community in which we work despite the obstacles and virtual world we live in right now.”
Concerns about Coronavirus, and many employees working from home, made a traditional food drive implausible. Luckily, Valley United Way already had a system in place – thanks to an initiative by Prudential Financial – where individuals could donate online to support the purchasing of much needed food for the main pantries in the area: Ansonia Salvation Army, Christ Episcopal Church Kathleen Samela Memorial Food Bank (Ansonia), Seymour-Oxford Food Bank, Spooner House (Shelton), and St. Vincent De Paul Food Pantry (Derby).
Because of this system, Edgewell employees were quickly able to raise over $3,000 for the pantries, a total that will be matched by the corporation. These funds are especially helpful in the bulk purchases from Bozzuto’s Inc. the pantries make each month (at a discounted rate), and ensures healthy staples are available to new community members needing their help.
Spooner House, one of the recipients of these funds, was grateful the money was raised. Susan Agamy, Executive Director, noted: “Those struggling with food insecurity in our community rely on our local food pantries for assistance in meeting the nutritional needs of their families. The generous financial support of Edgewell and its employees enables our food pantries to obtain a wide range of healthy food choices for our clients, many of whom typically have less nutritious food options available to them and a higher incidence of nutrition-related health issues.”
Excited at the success of this Virtual Food Drive, Valley United Way has decided to make their annual food drive, “Harvest House,” virtual this year. Running from September to October, monetary donations will be accepted on their Harvest House website (https://valleyunitedway.org/harvest-house/) which will be distributed evenly among the five pantries in November.