In Support of the Food of Life Pantry

Through their continued commitment to service, Millbrook students and faculty are helping sustain a vital resource for hundreds of local families during the winter months.

Millbrook volunteers have been traveling to the Food of Life (Comida de Vida) Pantry, based at St. Thomas Episcopal Church on Leedsville Road in Amenia, throughout the late fall and winter to help meet a surge in community need during a challenging season. While Millbrook's relationship with the food pantry dates back many years, there has been a resurgence of student volunteers, particularly this fall and winter.

The pantry, managed by Charlie Paley, former owner of Paley's Farm Market in Sharon, Connecticut, distributes food almost entirely outdoors each Friday afternoon and has seen increased demand in recent months. Millbrook faculty coordinator Kathy Havard has shared that "Rising uncertainty around SNAP benefits, along with USDA cuts affecting state food banks, has strained supplies and increased the number of families seeking assistance. In response, the pantry added a second volunteer shift from 4:00 to 5:30 p.m. on top of their 2-4:00 shift, allowing operations to continue through closing."

Since mid-November, two Millbrook faculty members and five students have committed to weekly shifts, traveling from campus just after classes end and returning shortly before 6:00 p.m. Volunteers relieve earlier shifts—often staffed by older retirees—and assist with distribution in cold weather conditions. Sign-ups currently extend through March break and may continue through the end of the school year.

Food of Life operates every Friday from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. in Amenia and from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. in Dover Plains, providing food for approximately nine meals per household each week. The pantry offers prepackaged grocery bags, supplemented with fresh produce and other items. Distributions include fruits and vegetables, eggs, fresh or frozen meat, bread, dairy products, canned and dry goods, toiletries, diapers, and pet food when available.

Much of the pantry’s produce is donated by a large farm in Dover Plains, supplying crops such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, cabbage, turnips, and apples that store well through the winter. The operation is highly organized, with proteins and dry goods prepared in advance and volunteers assisting families as cars move through a carefully managed drive-through line. During peak weeks, cars line Leedsville Road, and just before Thanksgiving, the pantry served nearly 1,000 families.

Food of Life is open to anyone in need, with no identification required. The organization relies primarily on individual donors and welcomes both volunteers and financial contributions. Its mission is rooted in the belief that access to healthy food is a universal human right and that a fair, just food system is built through partnership with the community.

Millbrook students are spending their free time at the pantry, and recent volunteers share this about their experiences:

Dona Mion '27 - "I look forward to volunteering at the food pantry again because it gave me a strong sense of purpose and allowed me to directly help people in my community. Seeing how appreciative the families were and knowing that my time made a real difference was very rewarding. The experience also helped me develop teamwork and communication skills while collaborating with other volunteers toward a meaningful, purposeful goal."

Lukas Rizos '28 - "The food pantry is a safe space for people to come and get food. Not everyone has the same opportunities that I have, and I will definitely be helping out more. Seeing the smiles on people's faces when they come through is worth going back over and over again."

Anabelle Siklos '27 - "The food pantry plays a big role in families in our community. Providing them with weekly food supplies gives them more time to focus on other priorities and put themselves first. This experience has taught me that if the Food of Life Pantry didn't operate, many families would lose a valuable support system. I am excited to continue volunteering there because it's taught me that many families are struggling, especially in winter, and that even a small effort goes a long way."