Welcome to the website of the Hooksett Community Food Pantry. Listed below are headings for information available on this site. Please scroll down to get to the heading that interests you.
Mission
Location
Hours of Operation
How to Obtain Food
Cash Donations
Food Donations
Places to Drop off Donations
Contact us
History
Mission
It is the mission of the Food Pantry to help those in the local community who are hungry by providing non-perishable food items, thereby enhancing the quality of life in our community.
Location
The Community Food Pantry is located at the Hooksett Town Offices at 35 Main St. in Hooksett Village. The Pantry has its own private entrance in the rear of the building. See above photos.
Hours of Operation
Effective October 1, 2009 the Community Food Pantry's hours are as follows:
- Monday 10:00 am - 12:00 noon
- Tuesday 2:15 pm - 4:15 pm
- Wednesday 9:00 am - 12 noon, 4:15 pm - 6:15 pm (2nd and 4th Wednesdays of each month)
- Thursday 2:15 pm - 4:15 pm
- Friday 10:00 am - 12 noon
How to Obtain Food
Anyone seeking help from the Community Food Pantry is welcomed and treated with respect regardless of their personal situation. The pantry is run by community volunteers who host clients by appointment only. Unlike some other pantries, referrals are not required. Please call 485-7222 to make an appointment.
Cash Donations: Cash donations are always needed and are used exclusively to purchase food items for clients. Checks may be made payable to “Hooksett Kiwanis Foundation Inc. Food Pantry” and mailed to Community Food Pantry at 35 Main St. Hooksett NH 03106. Such donations are tax deductible, with receipts provided upon request.
Food Donations
The following items are always collected. Items must not be expired and in the original packaging. We do not accept medications or drugs of any kind.
· Proteins: canned tuna, chicken, beef, canned or dried beans and legumes, peanut butter, nuts, canned pasta (such as Spaghetti O’s) stews, chili.
· Grains and Starches: boxed prepared food (such as hamburger helper), boxed cereal, stuffing mix, prepared rice, instant mashed potatoes, pastas, macaroni & cheese, pancake mixes and syrup.
· Fruits and vegetables. All canned fruit and vegetables, dried fruit bagged or boxed, applesauce, fruit or vegetable juices, spaghetti sauce, canned tomatoes.
· Other Food Items: baking good items, packaged cookies, puddings, Jell-O, instant coffee & tea, powdered mix drinks, condiments, jams & jellies.
· Non-food Items: dish soap, laundry detergent, paper towels, hand and body soap, shampoo, toothpaste, tissues, toilet tissue.
Places to Drop Off Donations
Donated items may be dropped off at the following locations:
· Congregational Church of Hooksett
· Holy Rosary Parish
· Hooksett Public Library
· Profile Self Storage
· Hannaford’s Supermarket
· Hooksett Municipal Building (entrance)
Contact Us
The best way to reach the Food pantry is by calling us at 485-7222.
History:
Since 2005, the Hooksett scouting community had delivered food donations to the food pantry on the Londonderry Turnpike as part of its annual Scouting for Food campaign. In the spring of 2007, the pantry closed for unknown reasons. Scouting volunteer Barbara Brennan was left in a predicament not knowing where their food could be delivered. She and Joy Buzzell from Hooksett Family Services met with the town administrator to see if they could set up a pantry at town hall. They were informed that they could not relocate until the Town Offices moved to Village School. Joy was aware that Pastor David Richardson at the Congregational Church of Hooksett had a small pantry and was giving food to local families on request. Joy and Barbara met with him and Cheryl Andrew to discuss the possibility of expanding on the church pantry using a large donation from the scouts. Both were elated, but had to get the permission from the church trustees. Following trustee approval, the new pantry set up shop in a room in the basement of the church. The Pantry began to grow that fall and took in more than 5,000 items.
Since it was becoming an arduous task for Cheryl and Pastor Dave, additional community volunteers were recruited. The volunteer base quickly grew from with help from the Congregational and other area churches, and those who just wanted to be a part of it all. In March 2008, the pantry officially became the “Hooksett Community Food Pantry”. For over a year the pantry grew in client size. With the state of the economy, however, it could not keep up with the food donations. It also had no room for expansion as the room at the church was being designated for religious education. A change needed to be made. Interim Town Administrator, Carol Granfield, embraced the idea of relocating the pantry to an area in Town Hall that was previously a storage area for the kitchen. JP Brennan, son of Barbara Brennan, proposed readying this area as his Eagle Scout project. After Carol Granfield became Town Administrator in May, she received approval from the Town Council members and approved JP’s proposal. The move was contingent on Hooksett Kiwanis Foundation sponsoring the pantry at its new location. This vote took place in the summer of 2009 as JP prepared the new pantry for the move.
The Hooksett Community Food Pantry was officially relocated at the end of August. Sponsorship by Kiwanis became official on October 1, 2009. With the Kiwanis Foundation’s status an approved 501c3 non profit charitable organization, the Pantry is now able to solicit more area businesses and apply for food from the NH Food Bank.
