Serving the Springs community for over 30 years
In 1992, Springs Food Pantry was established by a few members of the Springs Presbyterian Church to help our local fishing and farming families facing hardship through the harsh winter months.
In 1998, Holly Reichart-Wheaton returned to Springs from Chicago, to help care for her ailing father. As one of the original founders, her mother Betty asked Holly to help lead the Springs Food Pantry due to the increasing demand and need for additional fundraising and organization. Holly became our very first Director & Chairperson, forming and leading a Board to help mobilize the Pantry in support of the Springs Community.
Today, Springs Food Pantry operates independently and is nondenominational, recognized as a 501(c)(3) organization. This means that all donations made are fully tax-deductible, allowing you to contribute with the knowledge that your generosity is making a significant impact.
Mission
We provide supplemental food to the needy families of the hamlet of Springs in the Town of East Hampton, New York. This all-volunteer organization strives to provide short term, stop gap help for families in need.
Springs Food Pantry follows the directives of New York State, Suffolk County and does not divulge the information of clients to other organizations.
Springs Food Pantry statistics
Funding Sources
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92% of monetary donations are used to purchase healthy food choices. The remainder covers our operating expenses.
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Grants make up less than 15% of our annual funding. The rest of our $1.2 million budget is covered by private donations.
Impact
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East Hampton Town Council estimates we serve 25% of the Springs population.
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In 2024 we served approximately 650 families with roughly 2200 total family members - a 10% increase over 2023.
Food Expenses
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A monthly donation of $288 feeds a family of 4 for a year.
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We spend roughly $23,000 / week on dry & canned goods, fruits & vegetables, dairy & eggs and meat. In the summer, we benefit from the generous bounty of our local farmers.
Volunteer Power
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Our organization is 30+ years old and we are 100% volunteer-led and run.
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It takes on average 50 volunteers / week to keep our pantry humming.
How do we use our funds?
Monetary donations are our most important resource enabling us to purchase from among six wholesale distributors with economical pricing. Based on our needs each week, we buy fresh produce, eggs, bread, milk, frozen meat, poultry and fish, and frozen, dry or canned goods such as cooking oil, cereal, rice, beans, and vegetables. If we run out of supplies due to an unanticipated number of visits, we provide pre-paid grocery store gift cards so that no one goes hungry. Over the summer, we provide additional lunch items and healthy snacks to families with children under 18 years of age.
Other ways we help the Community
During the pandemic, Springs Food Pantry partnered with OLA and Northwell Health to organize a mobile vaccine unit to visit the Pantry. As trusted members in the community, the Pantry was able to encourage recipients to get vaccinated for the sake of everyone’s health in the region.
In 2023, Saavedra & Perez Law partnered with Springs Food Pantry to provide free immigration consultation services to our recipients. As past recipients of the Pantry, founders Natalia and Isabel wanted to give back to the Community and Springs Food Pantry, which helped their families many years ago.