To the Editor:

We are pleased to announce the Gathering Hope Food Pantry, a food pantry and resource center for the Hilltowns, is now open!

We would like to thank the many volunteers that assisted in the nine-month-long renovation project and the many generous donors who supported our opening with both monetary and food-item donations.  We also wish to recognize the generosity of the 100 Women Who Care, the Albany County Legislature, and Home Depot for their support in the form of generous grants who helped us get established.

Gathering Hope is the collaborative effort of the Helderberg Family and Community Organization and the Knox Thompson’s Lake Reformed Church. Gathering Hope serves the residents in the towns of Berne, Knox, Westerlo, and Rensselaerville.

We are open on Tuesday mornings from 10 a.m. to noon; Thursday evenings from 5 to 7 p.m., and the first Saturday of the month from 10 a.m. to noon. The pantry is located at 1212 Thompson’s Lake Road in East Berne (formerly the Thompson’s Lake Reformed Church Hall). We are currently able to offer individuals, couples, and families one visit per calendar month.  

If you are in need of food support, please stop by or email us at . We will be happy to assist you. If you know of someone in need, please encourage them to contact us. We care deeply and are here to help. 

We are also taking orders for a Thanksgiving meal box. Please stop in for details and/or to register for a box. 

We are accepting donations of nonperishable food items at the pantry during our hours of operation.  We also have a donation bin outside of the pantry and outside of the Knox Thompson’s Lake Reformed Church building on Berne-Altamont Road in Knox.

Monetary donations may be made out to HFCO, Post Office Box 115, Knox, NY 12107. Please note on the memo line: food pantry. 

Interested in learning more or volunteering? Please visit our website: wwwgatheringhopefoodpantry.org for more information or to volunteer. We update the website frequently with events, pantry needs, and special projects. Please also look for us on Facebook. 

On behalf of the Gathering Hope Food Pantry Board, I wish you a blessed holiday season. 

Maryellen Gillis

Helderberg Family and Community Organization