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Community Corner

Couple Volunteers To Make Sure Others Get Food They Need

Bill and Marie Groves named 2012 Citizens of the Year by the East Windsor Rotary Club.

 

Although Bill and Marie Groves are shy about all the attention they are receiving, they appreciate the publicity it brings to the Five Corner Cupboard.

“It was a complete shock,” Marie Groves said of being named Citizens of the Year with her husband, Bill. The couple enjoys working in the background at the Five Corner Cupboard, a food pantry in the .

As part of the award the food pantry was presented with a $1,000 donation from the East Windsor Rotary. That money will be added to other donations for the Feinstein Challenge.

The Feinstein Foundation, based in Rhode Island, is giving away $1 million dollars to participating agencies in the U.S. that are helping to combat hunger. The more donations received by the agencies, from March 1 through April 30, the more money they receive.

Dale Nelson, of the East Windsor Rotary Club, said the Groves were nominated by John and Carol Parda and the Rotary was pleased to be able to recognize their service to the community.

Carol Parda, of Broad Brook, said she has been involved with the food pantry for about five years, helping with publicity and volunteering.

“They spend so much time to make the pantry a success and I wanted to nominate them as a team because they are always there together,” she said.

The Groves said they each spend about 20-25 hours a week at the pantry, distributing food, stocking shelves and doing shopping to supplement donations. They recently expanded the hours of the Five Corner Cupboard to include one evening a month for people who have jobs during the day, or don’t have access to a car during the day.

They are both retired, Bill Groves from Aetna, and Marie Groves from Rockville General Hospital.

Dee Stathers, co-coodinator of the Five Corner Cupboard, spoke at the dinner held by the Rotary on April 19 to announce the award. She said the other volunteers and clients all love the couple and appreciate the work they do behind the scenes.

Stathers, 81, said she is stepping back after being involved for 17 years.
“They have been a Godsend for us. I wouldn’t step back without finding someone I trust, because this is too important, the need is out there,” she said.

Bill Groves helps with the physical work, stocking the shelves and bringing supplies up from the basement, as well as shopping and inventory, she said. Marie Groves works closely with the clients, helping them feel comfortable and lending an ear when they need to talk.

“It really helps with cost of food today, to provide a week’s worth of groceries,” Stathers said. “For seniors, it often means they can save and buy medication they need.”

She said the town is very supportive of the food pantry, businesses in town help support it, and the Rotary, Lions, German Club and Boy Scouts help fundraise as well.

“People often donate in the fall with the holidays, but we have needs throughout the year,” Marie Groves said.

She said families often have higher needs during the summer, with children home who would usually receive free or reduced lunch at school. “Hunger doesn’t take a vacation,” she said.

The food pantry has seen an increase of about 20 percent over last year in clients. The Groves said they think it mostly because of the economy, and partly because more people in town know about the service.

Town residents are screened through the . Clients come in once a month and receive about one week worth of groceries.

The pantry serves about 100-120 families a month. About 40 percent are single-person households, the rest are families. The amount of food they receive is proportionate to family size.

The Rev. Dr. Thomas Calderone has been the pastor at the church for 12 years and said the food pantry is much more efficient now, with the inventory system set up by the Groves. He said the number of people who come to the pantry has increased dramatically during his time at the church.

The food pantry was initially established by the church in the 1970s to serve members of the congregation in need. About 15 years ago it was expanded and the town began helping screen clients.

“I was pleased they received the award,” Calderone said. “They are here all the time; it is like a full-time job for them.”

The Groves said the other churches in town help support them as well. ShopRite, and also help with regular donations of food items. Local farmers often drop off donations.

Donations are accepted at the Five Corner Cupboard Food Pantry from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10 a.m. to noon on Sundays, and by appointment by calling 860-654-0590.  Monetary donations should be made out to the Five Corner Cupboard and may be mailed to the church at 124 Scantic Rd, East Windsor, Ct., 06088.

The Five Corner Cupboard takes donations of non-perishable foods, toiletries and monetary donations as well. Right now it is in need of: rice, peanut butter, jelly, mayonnaise, breakfast cereal, meal mixes, vegetables and brownie mix.

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