Allan Appel Photo
Alders Santiagio Berrios-Bones, DeCola, Colon, and Ernie Santiago.
Marshmallows, graham crackers, marinara sauce, and pasta.
Patrons brought those non-perishable food products along with their tickets to the Shubert Theater Friday night as they entered the lobby and ascended to their seats to see Mamma Mia!.
The occasion was the kick-off for the community food drive to replenish the supplies of the city’s food pantries and soup kitchens.
For the second year, the effort to fill an increasing need, demonstrate volunteerism, and promote the arts is being organized by the Board of Aldermen, spearheaded by East Shore Alderman Sal DeCola.
Friday night a dozen aldermen were on hand to launch the program, collect bags of pasta, peanut butter, graham crackers, cans of tuna fish — basically anything that will not break if it falls out of the shopping cart at the supermarket, said Hill Alderwoman Dolores Colon.
In snazzy white monogrammed aldermanic polo shirts, our town’s legislators were also handing out programs, showing folks to their seats, and scanning tickets. The idea was to express thanks to the hundreds of volunteers who donate their time at the Shubert, and to set an example for other folks to do the same at cultural and other institutions citywide, DeCola saidd.
Shubert spokesman Anthony Lupinacci said the theater was selected as the central depository because so many people will pass through to see the classic shows the theater hosts between now and the end of the year.
Berrios-Bones and son Michael on ticket-scanning duty.
Five thousand people alone were expected this past weekend to see Mamma Mia, said Lupinacci. Many of them had already deposited items in the box at the base of the theater’s grand stairway.
Lupinacci said the washing machine-sized box had already been emptied three or four times in the run-up to the show.
You don’t have to attend a show to make a contribution of much needed food, he added. Anyone any time wishing to deposit non-perishable items can leave them in the lobby, and folks at the box office will assist. (Click here for a Register story about the impact of federal cuts on the state’s growing hungry population.)
Last year the drive collected hundreds of pounds of food, along with $10,000 to purchase food stuffs.
This year the need is even greater, and the hope and expectation is to collect more.
This is the time of greatest demand on the pantries that supply the needs of families that often might have to choose between buying food and paying the light bill, said Colon.
That’s why the food drive occurs now; the pantries depend on such donations for replenishing of supplies.
As he did last year, during the first week of December DeCola personally will load up the bags of good and drive them to beneficiary organizations throughout the city, as designated by individual aldermen.
Among the pantries that received the harvest last year: Believe In Me Empowerment Corporation; Christian Community Action; St. Bernadette Church Food Pantry: Columbus House; Varick A.M.E. Zion Church Food Pantry; Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen; Mt. Hope Recovery Center Food Pantry; Immanuel Baptist Church/Feed My Sheep Ministry; Bella Vista; Walk of Faith Church of Christ; Faith Temple Revival Center; and Glorified Deliverance Center Church.