Fill the Foodshelf 2023: Month-long Food Drive

September is Hunger Action Month and it’s time to Fill the Foodshelf!

Running for the full month of September, the food drive will help the Putney Foodshelf stock up on staple food pantry items as we head into the fall.

The Foodshelf has been serving around 150 households a week during Open Hours. This is the highest running average we’ve ever seen, and it’s triple the number of people we served before the pandemic.

It’s easy to help! Donate here online or stop by the Putney Co-op or General Store:

1. Pick up a form

2. Circle your gift

3. Pay the cashier

Your donation will be delivered to the Foodshelf to feed our community!

Why this kind of food drive? These are two very impactful ways to give:

Monetary donations provide flexible funds that can be put to use as needed, when needed. We are able to stretch dollars through purchases at the Vermont Foodbank. Also, we source food locally whenever possible from farms, Food Connects, and other local suppliers.

The bulk case food drive at the Coop and General Store is a model we’ve been testing for a few years, and come to really love. Not only is bulk purchasing easy for the donor, it also makes it easy for the Foodshelf to get the food that’s most needed.

This year on the order forms you’ll see a variety of basic ingredients for cooking and baking: beans, rice, flour, salt, etc. We’ve also included gluten-free and dairy-free items, and toothbrushes. Each store has unique items, chosen because they are popular with shoppers and typically hard to source for free.

Whether you give online or in-store, thanks for helping us Fill the Foodshelf!

FILL THE FOODSHELF - Month-long Food Drive

September is Hunger Action Month and it’s time to Fill the Foodshelf! Starting September 1st and running for the full month of September, the food drive will help the Putney Foodshelf stock up on staple food pantry items as we head into the fall.

The Foodshelf has been serving around 90 households a week during Open Hours. This is similar to the peak of the pandemic. Inflation appears to be having a significant impact on the numbers of households using the Foodshelf.

It’s easy to help! Donate here online or stop by the Putney Co-op or General Store:

1. Pick up a form

2. Circle an item

3. Pay the cashier

Your donation will be delivered to the Foodshelf to feed our community!

Why this kind of food drive? The bulk case food drive at the Coop and General Store is a model we’ve been testing for a few years, and come to really love. Not only is bulk purchasing easy for the donor, it makes it easy for the Foodshelf to get the food that’s most needed.

This year you’ll see a variety of basic ingredients for cooking and baking - beans, broth, flour, oil, salt etc. We’ve also included gluten-free items and toothbrushes on the lists. Each store has unique items, chosen because they are popular with shoppers and typically hard to source for free.

Formerly Top the Truck: Since the food drive is no longer a one-day event centered around the big truck parked in the village (always generously donated by Soundview Paper Co.) last year we changed the name to Fill the Foodshelf.

Please help us spread the word! And next time you’re at the Putney Co-op or General Store, consider supporting Fill the Foodshelf while you’re at the register.

Thank you!

OPEN HOURS - Tomorrow 9-10:30 a.m.

Everyone should have a well stocked fridge. If you or someone you know needs supplemental food support, please come to the Putney Foodshelf.

Open hours -

Tomorrow Sat. 1/15/21 curbside 9-10:30 a.m.

Beginning Fri. 1/21/21 -

Fridays 1:30 - 3:30 p.m.

Saturdays 9:00 - 11:00 a.m.

All are welcome!

Exciting Changes

Exciting changes happening at the Putney Foodshelf! We're in process of moving out of the community room that has housed our emergency COVID curbside service response for almost two years now. We'll be sharing more info and pictures as we move into the back room and eventually extend our hours.

Many thanks to Josh Parker, Adam Newton, Ryan Struthers, and Eric McGowan for making time in their day to come by and help us move a bunch of heavy equipment. We could not do what we do without this incredible community.

Fill the Foodshelf – Month-long Food Drive

September is Hunger Action Month, and this year, with the ongoing pandemic, the importance of raising awareness and taking action against hunger in our community remains high.  The Putney Foodshelf, which serves Putney and the surrounding communities, will be running a month-long food drive to do just that.

Throughout September, during the Fill the Foodshelf drive, shoppers at the Putney Food Co-op and Putney General Store will have an opportunity to select grocery items from an order form to add to their bill at checkout. The groceries will then be delivered to the Foodshelf and distributed to those in need. Donations to support the drive can also be made online. Click the Fill the Foodshelf button to donate.



Crepe Night

Crêpe Nights are seasonal monthly gatherings, held the second Wednesday of each month, at Scott Farm from July through October. These are times to celebrate the harvest, good simple food, and community in a stunning setting – picnic style. The first Crepe Night of the season will be held on Wednesday, July 14th with proceeds going to the Putney Foodshelf. 



Full Plates VT

May will be the final month of the USDA’s Farmers to Families program. However, the Vermont Foodbank is excited to announce the launch of Full Plates VT. Full Plates VT will distribute food boxes at drive-thru style distributions, throughout all fourteen counties in Vermont. The program is currently scheduled to run from June – September, 2021. Reservations will be required for the distributions, and will go live on May 24th. To register and see the dates and locations, please visit vtfoodbank.org/gethelp or call 833-670-2254 for assistance.

Putney Diaper Bank Pilot Program

Did you know that 3Squares and WIC  do not subsidize the purchase of  diapers? Diapers cost ~$75per month, per child, and a recent studya recent study found that over half of women were more stressed about affording diapers than food, housing, or electricity. While providing diapers is not part of Putney Foodshelf’s core mission, food shelves often serve as the distribution arm for diapers because of our infrastructure and community reach.

Building off the success of our monthly pet food pop-up, Putney Foodshelf is collaborating with Putney Community Cares to pilot a diaper bank. We are able to order diapers from Vermont Foodbank, which we will distribute once a month during Open Hours, with support from Putney Community Cares. As we learn more about diaper need - including most desired sizes and how to reach caregivers - we may expand the program.  For more  information on diaper need in Vermont, visit The National Diaper Bank.  To request diaper assistance or donate unused disposable diapers in any type, size, or brand and unopened wipes and diaper creams, please contact Ruby McAdoo, coordinator@putneycommunitycares.org. 

Mitten Raffle

Rachael Shaw’s mitten raffle (through her business, MyMittensofVermont.com) raised $1,080 for the Foodshelf. Many thanks to Rachael and the people who bought 216 tickets at $5 each. The happy winner of the pair of mittens (similar to Bernie’s famous mittens) is a woman in Huntington Beach, California.

Valley Veggie Pilot Initiative

Two weeks ago, we began a two-month pilot study by offering frozen fruit and vegetables produced by Valley Veggies in Greenfield, MA. We started off the program by offering diced green peppers as well as blueberries. This past Saturday we offered a diced carrot/parsnip blend and this weekend we will be offering spinach or diced carrots.  

These fruits and vegetables are regionally grown, and produced by Valley Veggies in Greenfield, MA (the link is to a short article about the organization).  We are purchasing cases of 12 oz. packages from Valley Veggies through Food Connects in Brattleboro at a steep discount for the pilot study.  If the frozen produce is popular with our shoppers, we will likely seek outside support to continue the effort. 

During the Summer months here in Putney, fresh fruits and vegetables are abundant, and the Foodshelf and its shoppers have always benefited from donations made by many of our local growers. It is much more difficult to provide such amazing produce during the winter months. We are proud to be able to offer some regionally sourced, flash-frozen produce to our shoppers. We have consulted with Nancy Schaefer, a Community Health Team health coach:

I am so delighted to hear about the Putney Foodshelf’s pilot program, which will offer to their shoppers frozen fruits and vegetables. I work as a Health Coach, and I connect with referred patients from our local hospital and 10+ health care practices. The majority of the patients referred to me have one or more  health conditions  where food choices can improve or greatly impair their health outcomes. Many of my patients utilize supplemental food resources; additionally, many have  extenuating circumstances that prevent them from spending much time cooking/preparing meals. Many canned food options are nutritionally devoid and/or loaded with sodium, sugars, etc.  I am hopeful that this pilot program will prove successful, and  it can be a model for other food shelves and other  free-food resources. Thank you so much for  your hard work and commitment to improving the health and well- being of our valued community members.

  • Nancy Schaefer, CHT Health Coach BMH/ HCRS

Everyone Eats! is Back in Putney

Everyone Eats! resumed on January 18 and will continue with distribution every Monday in Putney (at the Putney Community Center from 5:30-6:00 p.m.), and every Monday through Thursday in Brattleboro at 80 Flat Street from 4:00-6:00 p.m.  Everyone Eats is being implemented in Putney in a collaboration between the Putney Foodshelf and Putney Mutual Aid. 

In this new phase of the program we are hoping to source the majority of the meals distributed in Putney from Putney restaurants, including the Gleanery and the Putney Co-op.  The current plan is to distribute the meals to those who had signed up during last year’s phase of the program. As before, limited meals may be available to drive-up customers from 5:30-6 on Mondays at the Putney Community Center.  Email putneymutualaid@gmail.com for more information or to reserve meals. Putney Mutual Aid is also seeking to offer these Putney-sourced meals once a week to the staff at Putney Central School. 

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Vermont Foodbank Extending Farmers to Families Through February

Thanks to generous community support, the Vermont Foodbank is able to extend the Farmers to Families Food Box program into January and February, independent of the USDA.

In partnership with the Abbey Group, Farmers to Families food boxes will continue to be available at multiple daily food distributions throughout the state through February.

To keep wait times to a minimum, reservations will be required for the distributions. To register and see the dates and locations, please visit https://humanresources.vermont.gov/food-help or call 802-476-0316 for assistance. 

New distribution dates and locations will be posted regularly –please continue to check back if you do not see the location or date you are looking for. January dates will be posted soon.

Each reservation will receive 1 box with about 30 lbs. of food, including fresh produce, dairy products, and meat.

You are welcome to pick up food for other families who are not able to make it to the pickup site, just be sure to make a separate reservation for each household you would like to pick up for. Each reservation is for one box of food.