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Leadership Saratoga Helps Wilton Food Pantry

Leadership Saratoga Helps Wilton Food Pantry

Introduction: The Leadership Saratoga Class of 2018 split up into four "teams" at the start of the program, in the Fall of 2017. Each team was assigned a specific nonprofit challenge to tackle and resolve as part of the Leadership Saratoga experience. Below is a snyopsis from the project team that worked with the Wilton Food Pantry.

Food is not an option, it’s a necessity.

Our Leadership Saratoga group was tasked with increasing the awareness of the Wilton Food Pantry (WFP) to serve more clients and recruit new volunteers.  In our early group discussions, we learned that we all selected the project for a similar reason- we wanted to make a tangible difference in our community.  Supporting the WFP and helping to put food on the table for families in need seemed like a perfect fit for everyone on our team. The motto for the WFP was simple and clear- Food is not an option, it’s a necessity.  Our group was set on making a big impact.
 
During the exploratory phase of our project we learned the Wilton Food Pantry had only 1 staff person, an 8 member Board of Directors, and several regular volunteers that helped serve almost 100 clients per month.  However, the Wilton Food Pantry had partnerships with local grocery stores and other groups to double the amount of clients it served each month.   The challenge was how could the WFP increase their client base while securing new volunteers to serve the mission. 
 
Our first step was visiting the WFP and meeting with members of the board and staff.  The pantry resides in the back of the Trinity United Methodist Church on Ballard Road.  There is no signage for the facility and most clients learn about the pantry through word-of-mouth.  Working closely with the board we conducted a survey to identify where our group could be most effective in addressing the awareness issues.  Once our team was armed with the results, we presented solutions to better manage their existing volunteers, shared information about Intra-Agency day for the organization to participate, shared a social media plan and provided a mock-up of a postcard to reach all 7,395 households in Wilton.
 
The board approved a small budget to create the postcard and our first deliverable was set in motion.  Our team quickly went to work, leveraging our contacts.  The team was able to get the postcard design donated by Stewart’s Shops, printing costs donated by Advantage Press, paper donated by a board member and postage covered through an in-kind donation from Saratoga National Bank.  The entire project cost the WFP -$0.
 
Going the extra mile, Matt Gutch from Stewart’s Shops was also able to secure a temporary road sign for the WFP with plans to secure a permeant sign once permits are approved.  Now anyone driving on Ballard Road would know the Food Pantry is there to help those in need.
 
Our team set out to make a tangible difference and at times doubted the impact of our efforts, I mean-  “What difference could a postcard really make?” 
 
At the conclusion of our project we heard from the Peter Maynard, Director of Operations Manager for WFP.  As a result of our efforts, 2 young mothers came in seeking help, 2 new volunteers reached out to asking to volunteer, 3 people reached out asking to drop off food donations, 4 individuals provided monetary donations.  “These numbers might seem low, but I think the correct way to look at them is ‘seeds’.  I have no doubt that others will come forward referred by these folks.”  
 
Leadership Saratoga was an incredible experience and our group learned many valuable lessons throughout the project.  We set out to make a big impact and in our minds we figured we would execute some ground breaking idea.  In the end, we made an impact by planting a number of seeds that we hope will grow to further support the community and families in need. 
 

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