Lambertville Food Pantry Plays Santa For 150+ Kids

LAMBERTVILLE, NJ — It has addressed hunger in the region for the past 65 years, but the Delaware Valley Food Pantry has never really been in the gift-giving business.

But, when a local woman posted a classified ad on Patch saying she wanted to give dozens of brand-new toys to needy children in the area, volunteers with the Lambertville-based group couldn't resist.

"She gave her email address and I wrote to her and she donated 100 toys," said Evy Inoue, who handles social media and Web duties for the pantry. "And the rest is history. It just evolved — really evolved — from a tiny little ad in Patch."

That history came together on Saturday, when volunteers with the Delaware Valley Food Pantry handed out nearly 1,000 toys, gift cards, winter clothing items and more to 76 families that included more than 150 children.

Santa and Mrs. Claus (Felix Ciatterelli and Lauren Speis) were on hand, along with volunteers dressed as elves, to hand out large bags packed with Christmas presents those children had requested, along with stocking stuffers like Play-Doh, books, mittens and the like.

After that initial donation (from a woman who asked to remain anonymous), the food bank, located at 1 Cherry St. in Lambertville, started taking Christmas gift requests from children served by the pantry and matching them up with gifts donated by supporters.

"Since our community was so generous, we decided we would make this the best Christmas ever," said Bert Johnson, president of the Delaware Valley Food Pantry.

Using cash donations earmarked specifically for the drive, the pantry bought five bicycles and other requested gifts that donors hadn't already purchased — including gift cards for older children who'd asked for clothing. A single donor gave $1,000 in Amazon gift cards, according to Johnson.

On Saturday, 55 of those families came to pick up the gifts in person.

"One of the mothers started crying," Johnson said. "She was just overwhelmed."

They also went home with a tasty meal, thanks to some multi-layered generosity. Jack Egoavil Gomez, owner of El Tule restaurant in Lambertville and Quinoa restaurant in Doylestown, wanted to donate some free meals to the pantry's volunteers.

The volunteers, in turn, decided that those meals should go to the pantry's clients. In the end, he gave away more than 60 boxes of tacos and chips to families and volunteers on Saturday.

"We are so, so grateful to our community for being so generous with their donations," Johnson said. "They really made Christmas for these families and children."

The Delaware Valley Food Pantry is believed to be the area's largest and longest serving nonprofit of its kind, in service since 1955. It helps more than 1,000 people a month who are in need of food and is staffed entirely by volunteers.

During the coronavirus pandemic, the pantry has had to change up how it works. Normally, clients would walk the aisles of the pantry with a volunteer, picking their own food. Many of those volunteers are seniors and some have health issues, Johnson said.

The pantry changed its rules so that only two people are allowed inside at a time and reached out to area high school students for help bagging and delivering food.

Currently, the pantry is accepting donations to help buy food gift cards, that will be given to families to help with Christmas dinners.

Anyone wishing to donate to the Delaware Valley Food Pantry may do so online, or mail a donation to DVFP, P.O. Box 705, Lambertville, N.J. 08530. You may also support the pantry via Amazon Smile.

The pantry also accepts donations of nonperishable food and other personal items. You may click the link above for a list of needed items and where and when they may be donated.

This story is part of Patch's Headlining Hope series, which profiles local nonprofits and charitable organizations in need of volunteers and resources. If you know of a local organization that should be profiled, contact doug.gross@patch.com.

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