Laborers 110 continues support of Arnold Food Pantry with $5,188 donation, 2.5 tons of food

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By SHERI GASSAWAY
Correspondent

HELPING THE HUNGRY: Laborers’ Local 110 Business Manager Don Willey (left) and Business Agent Rob Reed (right) presented a $5,188 check to the Arnold Food Pantry Oct. 8 at the Arnold VFW Hall. Accepting the donation on behalf of the pantry were Ed Fitzhenry (second to left), its executive director, and Phil Amato (third to left), its board president. – Labor Tribune photo

Arnold, MO – Laborers Local 110 continued its generous support for the Arnold Food Pantry by recently donating $5,188 in cash and two-and a-half tons of canned goods and nonperishable food items.

Local 110 collected the items at the union’s annual picnic held at Grant’s Farm. In addition to food items, members and their families also made cash contributions to the pantry totaling $2,594. Local 110 matched its members’ donations for a grand total of $5,188.

Local 110 Business Manager Don Willey and Business Agent Rob Reed presented the pantry with the cash donation at the non-profit organization’s Taste of Arnold fundraiser held Oct. 8 at the Arnold VFW Hall.

AMAZING PROGRAM
“It’s an amazing program,” Willey said. “To be this big of an operation and serve as many people as it does, including union members and non-union members and everybody else, is quite a feat.”

Willey explained that the relationship between the food pantry and the Laborers goes back a long way. He said during the recession when Laborers were out of work, the pantry helped feed its members in Jefferson County.

GREAT PARTNERSHIP
Phil Amato, president of the food pantry’s board of directors, thanked Willey and Reed for the generous donation and the union’s continuing support.

“Laborers 110 has been a good friend and they are always there when you call on them,” Amato said. “What a great partnership.”

NOW SERVING VETERANS
In a surprise announcement at the event, Amato said that the pantry, which serves about 13,000 residents in Arnold and portions of Imperial and Fenton each year, has decided to expand its service to all veterans living in Jefferson County.

“Jefferson County is the sixth largest county in the state, and no veteran should ever be without food,” he said. “Now eligible veterans who live anywhere in Jefferson County will be given a two-weeks supply of food at a time.”

ABOUT THE PANTRY
The Arnold Food Pantry, which serves over 300 families a year, is the largest non-denominational food distribution center in the St. Louis region that does not receive city, state or federal government funding.

For more information on the pantry or to donate, call 636-287-3663 or visit wefeedthehungry.org.

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