Welcome

TEMPORARY POLICY

When you arrive at ICC at your scheduled food pickup time, please drive past our building, turn around and pull up along the edge of ICC.  We will bring your items to your car, instead of you coming inside the building.

Thank you for your cooperation.

The Irondequoit Community Cupboard has always been about “Neighbors Helping Neighbors.” The corona virus is here and We really dont know much about it except that the elderly population and those with compromised immune systems are most susceptible.

If you are an at risk Irondequoit resident who is elderly or has a compromised immune system such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, COPD, and those receiving cancer treatment, I will bring you emergency food. I do not want you to put yourself at a higher risk than necessary.

Please contact me directly at iccdebbieevans@gmail.com if you would like me to do this for you.

Debbie

Irondequoit Community Cupboard, Inc.

The Irondequoit Community Cupboard, Inc. is a not-for-profit organization designed to meet a variety of needs for families and individuals in the Town of Irondequoit, NY.

Mission Statement

“To provide emergency assistance to Irondequoit residents with dignity, kindness and without prejudice.”

Vision

"To raise awareness of the presence and impact of hunger and poverty in our community. We envision a community where all people share resources to ensure that residents’ basic needs are met in times of limited resources.

We advocate for and reach out to those in need and try to influence public policy so that every person in our community has the necessary support and resources to enhance nutrition, health and welfare.”

Amazon.com for ICC

This will only take a moment of your time; I know you shop at Amazon, especially for the holidays. You can help the Irondequoit Community Cupboard just by going to https://smile.amazon.com and then type in Irondequoit Community Cupboard You would then continue to shop whatever it was you were shopping for and we get a (small) dollar percentage of your order. So we win for you doing what you were going to do anyway. This would be a great and easy way for you to “Help us Help others” in our community.

For more information you can go to Facebook page for up to date photos and info https://www.facebook.com/Irondequoit-Community-Cupboard-Inc-180196068672489/?fref=ts

United Way
Remember us at United Way giving time we are designee #2466

Bottle and Can Returns
Great news!!! Thanks to Bob Schultz for making me aware of a unique (to us) way for us to raise some money. If you need to return bottles and cans, and who doesn’t, you can bring them to Quick Cans Recycling at 471 East Ridge Road, Rochester, NY 14621, and donate the proceeds to us just by mentioning the Irondequoit Community Cupboard.

If you are in need of assistance, please call (585) 336-9107.
(no appointments are made online)

Distribution Hours (BY APPOINTMENT ONLY)
Tuesday & Saturday from 9:30AM - 11:00AM.

Office Hours (BY PHONE ONLY)
Monday & Wednesday 9:00AM - 4:00PM
Fridays 9:00AM-12:00PM

"Letter from the President"
(Summer 2020)

Dear Friends,

Well, here we are, it is summer in Rochester. A time when kids are usually playing outside, and going to camps, adults and families are going to Seabreeze, festivals, concerts, and vacation. Usually summer is a happy time for most. Not this year. There is so much uncertainty about the future that many are battling anxiety and depression in record numbers. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/managing-stress-anxiety.html

Record numbers of people being laid off or let go. Record numbers filing for unemployment. (Not a fun experience) The fear of not knowing whether you will have a job to return to.

We receive many calls, especially from our seniors, and they are lonely. No one has checked on them, they haven’t seen their friends, they cannot go to the library, church or senior center, they are scared to leave the house. Going through our first large distribution, I have been able to call on many households that either have 1 person in the household or a real lot of people in the household just to check on them; ask if they need anything, how they are doing, if they need food and taxable items. Often just knowing someone cared about them made a huge difference. I always say, “To the world you may be only one person but to one person you may be the world.” Check on your neighbors (at a safe distance or by phone) It will do them and you a lot of good.

As you can imagine, we have been very busy during this pandemic. We have recorded record numbers, again. Our senior numbers have more than tripled. We are getting calls from adults who have never had to use a food pantry before; they are scared and ashamed. We have GOT to get rid of this stigma that prevents people from utilizing help when they need it. Enough already. Everyone needs a helping hand sometimes.

Food insecurity is real. It happens to many of us. It is happening now.

https://hungerandhealth.feedingamerica.org/understand-food-insecurity/

https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/social-determinants-health/interventions-resources/food-insecurity

On a positive note, since people got their unemployment checks (with the increase) and their stimulus check, we have seen less of those households. However, that is about to come to an end in July and I am nervous for what the future can bring.

We are very fortunate to live in a community that is as awesome as this. We are receiving items that you are purchasing based on our Top 10 list, and we couldn’t be more grateful. We are receiving cash donations which are a huge help to be able to purchase items that we are lacking; refrigerated items, proteins, healthy produce (Until our garden is ready) taxable items that we may take for granted like toilet paper, soap, paper towels, etc. I am so proud and so grateful, yet humbled by all of you, that we have not had to close our doors because of lack of necessary items. we have been open since day 1 when I made a promise that as long as I am healthy and as long as I am able, I will make sure our residents will get what they need.”

We are fortunate to live in a community where I receive calls and emails asking for the most updated list of our needs. People want to know how they can help.

We are fortunate to live in a community that has a Foodbank like Foodlink who is providing supplemental food boxes all over the county (and beyond) to those who register.

We are fortunate to have a Town Supervisor who was ready and willing to work with me/us to make sure you had what you needed as soon as you needed it. We didn’t wait around for people to tell us what to do, we just did it. Supervisor Seely didn’t miss a beat, he said “whatever you need, let me know” and he has been there every step of the way.

We are fortunate to live in a community where the School Superintendents, did the same; we communicated right away about how we could help the community. Right away both school districts had drive up lunch programs and East Irondequoit will continue with the meal programs through the summer.

We are fortunate to live in a community where elected officials are/have been helping to distribute items, bring funding to our community and to be there to listen to our community needs.

We are fortunate to live in a community where a Pastor (Jeff Printy) who wants to have an impact, donates land so we can have THE most amazing garden I have seen. We have Anne Rowley who is an amazing coordinator with all of her helpers _ they are all assets to our community.

We are fortunate to live in a community where as soon as we heard that the county was shutting down, except for essential workers, restaurants donated what they had so it didn’t go to waste. We received so much produce, eggs and bread from Tasteful Connections, Thai Mii Up, The Union Tavern, Shamrock Jacks and 2 Ton Tonys, that we were able to get those items distributed to residents from the first day without having to go to a store (because they were limiting what we could purchase)

As you can see, even during these crazy times, during this scary pandemic, we are still fortunate.

Ok, so this was long winded, I apologize. I will include our Top 10 below and I will include the Foodlink flyer that includes dates and locations for more food box distributions. Please continue to be safe, wear the masks, check on your neighbors and call us if you know of anyone who needs our help.

Peace,

Debbie Evans President and
Executive Director


Lisa Loeser, Chairperson
MaryJo Toepfer, Vice Chairperson
John Kane, Treasurer
Cherie Evans, Secretary

Diane Zaccarine, Corresponding Secretary
Mary Bragg, Board Member
Carolyn DeHond, Board Member
John Villeneuve, Board Member