SAILOR Students Make Valuable Contribution at Local Food Pantry

When asked by teacher Lauren Casey what they enjoyed most about working at The Pantry at Let It Shine in Verplanck, one student responded definitively.

“Working with you, Ms. Casey,” the student said. “And with Andy.”

The experience being surrounded by a familiar support system while learning important work skills is a benefit of the partnership between the SAILOR program at Hendrick Hudson High School and The Pantry. It’s one of several work-based learning opportunities offered to students in the SAILOR program, and one that both the students and the organization have found to be beneficial.

“The SAILORS are an important part of our volunteer teams,” said Maria Morabito-Rose, a Hendrick Hudson staff member who runs The Pantry alongside her sister, Kacey Morabito-Grean. “They are full of grit and determination, and their Sailor Pride shows in everything they do.”

The students who volunteer at The Pantry work under the guidance of Ms. Casey. They restock shelves and pack grocery bags, helping to create food packages that can be delivered to seniors and other families who aren’t able to shop at The Pantry on Fridays. They also vacuum, sweep and dust to ensure the space is organized and clean.

“They are able to learn a variety of skills that can help them work at different places in the future,” Ms. Casey said. “This is teaching them some of the skills they’d need to work in the supermarket.”

The Pantry has a high volume of food to sort and package — around 2,000 pounds of food each week purchased through Feeding Westchester and supplemented by additional orders from Amazon and local stores.

The idea to pair SAILOR students and The Pantry was the suggestion of Kiley Cole, one of Hendrick Hudson’s special education teachers.

“Having the SAILORS join our team — known as The World’s Greatest Volunteers — is the heart of Let It Shine,” Ms. Morabito-Grean said. “In a community, everyone can contribute. All boats rise. All hearts shine. The SAILORS help us feed the community, and we are very grateful for their service.”

The SAILOR students’ work-based learning extends to other local businesses, including Avellino’s, the Hendrick Hudson Free Library and Premier Athletics in Montrose; the Cortlandt Colonial Restaurant in Cortlandt Manor; and DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse in the Cortlandt Town Center.

Let It Shine’s services also extend beyond The Pantry’s primary services. This summer, the organization created a Summer Lunch Bunch program that served 42 Hendrick Hudson students each week during July and August. The students’ families visited The Pantry every Monday during the summer to pick up bags of groceries with enough supplies for a full week of lunches and snacks that included sandwich fixings, fresh fruit, milk, eggs and even some school supplies.

The Pantry is a program of Let It Shine, Inc., a nonprofit that provides goods and services to women and families in need of transition. The organization is located in the former Town of Cortlandt Museum building, and The Pantry serves between 80-100 families a week.