Pawcatuck Neighborhood Center to get new walk-in freezer, cooler
Stonington — For years, the Pawcatuck Neighborhood Center has used a network of freezers and refrigerators not just in its basement but spread throughout the community to store perishables and holiday turkeys for those in need.
During the holidays, it meant trucking hundreds of turkeys to and from locations such as the Pawcatuck Little League complex, ConnRI Paper and Supply in Pawcatuck and the North Stonington Grange. The lack of cooler space, however, meant the center could not keep vegetables and fruit fresh for long, especially if they had arrived on Friday and could not be distributed until Monday.
That all changes Thursday with an 11 a.m. ribbon cutting to dedicate a $146,000 walk-in freezer and cooler at the center. Dignitaries such as U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, Stonington First Selectman Rob Simmons and North Stonington First Selectman Shawn Murphy are expected to be on hand.
The center is calling the arrival of the walk-in freezer and cooler "a milestone event" because it will help with the center's anti-hunger programs.
“This has been a dream of mine for many years. So I am thrilled we’ve been able to do it,” said longtime center Executive Director Vicki Anderson, who is retiring June 30.
And like almost all of the center's charitable efforts, the money needed for the 1,500-square-foot freezer came from the community. The center received a $20,000 grant from the Kimball Foundation of Rhode Island, with the rest of the money collected through a series of fundraisers and donations over the past year.
“People really rallied behind this idea,” Anderson said. “It was really unbelievable.”
She said the donations were another example of how residents have always responded to the center’s call for food, gifts, clothing and other items to serve the needy.
“We always find a way to feed the community,” Anderson said.
She praised Pawcatuck Little League complex, ConnRI and the North Stonington Grange along with others for helping store turkeys and other items over the years.
“They have been such good neighbors. I can’t say enough about them,” she said.
Anderson said the freezer allows the center to become more self-sufficient and keep food on hand in the event of any shortages. The center serves clients in Stonington, North Stonington and Westerly.
Thursday’s ribbon cutting will be followed at noon by a buffet lunch catered by Bogue’s Alley deli in downtown Pawcatuck.
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