Bethany Zaro

Human Services: New Canaan Food Pantry Sees Record-High Demand

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Town officials say they saw record-high demand at the New Canaan Food Pantry in October. A total of 111 people were served by the pantry in the month, according to town Human Services Director Bethany Zaro. “We have surpassed any numbers, historically, in October,” Zaro said during the Nov. 2 Health & Human Services Commission meeting, held at Town Hall and via videoconference. 

The town also saw a high number of Food Pantry clients at 108 in June, Zaro said, adding that Human Services just added two more families for the next distribution. 

Located at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, the Food Pantry provides non-perishable items to qualified individuals and families living in New Canaan.

Bethany Zaro

Podcast: New Canaan Food Pantry

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This week on 0684-Radi0, our free podcast (subscribe here in the iTunes Store), we talk to the town’s Human Services Department director, Bethany Zaro, about the New Canaan Food Pantry—what it does, how it operates, how much use it gets, and how much it benefits from the generosity of local individuals, organizations and businesses. Located at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, the Food Pantry provides non-perishable items to qualified individuals and families living in New Canaan. Volunteers are needed during hours of operation to sort, stock and bag groceries. The Food Pantry is accepting food donations at St.

Bethany Zaro

Use of New Canaan Food Pantry Rises Sharply Amid COVID

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The number of households using the New Canaan Food Pantry has risen more than 60% amid the COVID-19 public health emergency, officials said Tuesday. Pre-COVID, the town saw about 40 households availing themselves of the pantry every two weeks, according to Human Services Director Bethany Zaro. This month, more than 65 households are using it, she told members of the Board of Selectmen. “Everything has increased—the money needed, the time,” she said during the Board’s regular meeting, held via videoconference. “People are so grateful for it and it’s definitely part of the town.

Government

Town Renews Lease with St. Mark’s for Food Pantry through Year’s End; Facility May Be Relocated To Publicly Owned Building in Future

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New Canaan’s food pantry, long operated out of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, may be relocated to a town-owned building following a report due at summer’s end, officials said. A newly appointed committee is studying the condition, needs and uses of 40-plus publicly owned buildings, and the food pantry may at some point move to one of them “that may be under-utilized,” according to First Selectman Rob Mallozzi. “That will be determined as we look at our buildings and what we have,” Mallozzi said during a special meeting Tuesday of the Board of Selectmen, held at Town Hall. “I will heave that in other hands for the time being.”

The comments came as the selectmen approved unanimously a $1,250-per-month lease with St.

Around Town

Did You Hear … ?

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The alpacas of Crajah House on Oenoke Ridge Road on Tuesday were shorn of their thick winter coats—see photos above. Their owner, New Canaan’s Debbie McQuilkin, tells us the process for each “blanket” includes picking out sticks, hay and straw, then going for the secondary areas of the neck, backside and legs. The material is sent to a fiber mill where it’s washed, cleaned again and dyed or made into a yarn that McQuilkin herself chooses—fine knitting or heavy weaving for rugs. It also can be sent back for hand spinning or felting, McQuilkin said. The alpaca fleece is hypoallergenic and contains no lanolin, and it’s naturally fire-resistant.