The Saugerties Food Pantry traces back to the mid-1970s, when the late Rev. Fred Imhoff of First Congregational Church noticed government surplus cheese piling up with nowhere to go — and decided someone should distribute it to families who needed it. That small idea grew into the Saugerties Area Council of Churches Food Pantry, which today serves up to 300 residents a month from its home on Livingston Street, staffed entirely by more than 50 volunteers.

Longtime pantry leader Marilyn Richardson, who has run the pantry with her husband Paul since 1994, wrote to thank the club: “This year our need has grown for people needing help. Our donations have been very low. Your donation will help us help others.”

The Kiwanis Club of Saugerties is proud to support a pantry that has quietly fed this community for half a century.To learn more, read this Hudson Valley One profile of Marilyn Richardson