On July 28, the Wallkill Lions Club, in association with the New York State & Bermuda Lions Foundation presented the Robert J. Uplinger Distinguished Service Award to the Wallkill Food Pantry for their outstanding service to the people of Wallkill and surrounding Hudson Valley communities during the pandemic.
The award was established in 1993, in honor of past International President Robert J. Uplinger who served as the 55th president from 1971-72. The foundation explains that, “This award recognizes outstanding Lions, districts, or non-lions with the highest examples of Lionistic character, ideals, purpose, and service” to the recipient’s community.
Donna Ewing, volunteer team leader at the food pantry, has relied on a core group of eight regular volunteers, along with an army of volunteers from the church, the hamlet and the Wallkill Lions Club. Together, they helped to distribute over 250,000 pounds of food and products to people in the community from March 2020 through March 2021.
Ewing explained that the pantry started in the basement of the Wallkill Reformed Church over 30 years ago and prior to the pandemic was serving approximately 76 families a month. Through generous donations, grants and the support of partners like the Food Bank of the Hudson Valley, Hannaford of Pine Bush, UlsterCorps and the Bimbo Bakery (Freihofer’s) of Newburgh, the Town of Shawangunk and the numerous volunteers, the pantry’s capabilities increased to support over 360 families a month.
This support allowed the pantry to structure their processes to allow “client choice” distribution of food. “Families never go home with items they did not choose”, something Ewing explains was unheard of in the past and has proven to be the reason over 10,000 meals a month were distributed in the surrounding community.
The Wallkill Lions Club recognizes this effort and was proud to bestow the Robert J. Uplinger award to the Wallkill Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry for outstanding community service. Their efforts mirror the Lions motto: “We Serve”.