As the school year comes into full swing and the holiday season approaches, the demand for food and helping hands at OpenDoors continues to grow. This month, as Connecticut residents have lost SNAP benefits, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program that allows low-income individuals to afford groceries, OpenDoors meal numbers have been skyrocketing. They are doing their best to keep up with the surge of people in need, but they need donations more than ever to keep up.
Feeding 500, the student-led nonprofit partnered with OpenDoors to alleviate food insecurity, has tackled this demand head-on. The Darien chapter has recently expanded to over 75 
dedicated volunteers.
The club meets in room G201 at 7:15 am on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month; the club has worked collaboratively to plan events, raise community awareness, and develop leadership skills in each member.
This past month Feeding 500 held two food drives, one held at Palmers Market on October 5th and another at Stop & Shop on October 18th. Thanks to generous donations and hardworking volunteers, 1,027 pounds of non-perishable goods were delivered directly to the OpenDoors Food Pantry in South Norwalk.
When junior Caroline Baldwin, Feeding 500 Darien Vice President, was asked about highlights from the two drives, she replied, “One man who initially went into Stop & Shop to buy himself a yogurt came back with an entire shopping cart of food to donate.” She added, “Moments like these are so heartwarming, and it’s amazing to see how eager the community is to help.”
Looking ahead, Feeding 500 plans to expand its community engagement with more monthly food drives, brand partnerships, and fundraising events. For November, our members will be participating in the annual CT Run Co. and OpenDoors turkey transit on the 15th, as well as a Palmers Food Drive with date TBD. On top of that, in response to the significant demand at the OpenDoors kitchen, our members will be volunteering there to help out, as well as continuing to raise awareness and food through our virtual pantry! Stay up to date with our upcoming events and meetings on Instagram @Feeding500_Darien!
Looking for some volunteer hours and interested in joining the chapter? Fill out the New Member Form in the Instagram bio or join the Google Classroom with code: qvxgt5g
