Sharing the Love Food Giveaway
The Gathering Hope Food Pantry will be hosting its first "Sharing the Love" Food Giveaway Event on February 14, beginning at 10 am at the East Berne Fire House. Timed to coincide with the beginning of the February school vacation week, Gathering Hope's goal is to provide 100 boxes of food to our neighbors on a first-come, first-served basis.
This event is made possible only through the generous donations from the community. There are a number of ways that kind-hearted individuals or groups may support this worthwhile project:
- Become a sponsor of this event through a monetary donation. Checks may be made payable to Gathering Hope Food Pantry and mailed to PO Box 101, Knox, NY 12107.
- Help us fill the boxes by purchasing one or several of the items to be included in the giveaway. Items needed include: peanut butter, jelly, boxed potatoes, pasta sauce, tuna, mayonnaise, brownie or cake mix, chicken/turkey gravy (mixed or jarred), canned corn, soup (preferably with 7+ grams of protein).
- Drop off points for the items include: Altamont Country Value (Agway); Altamont Stewart's; Helderberg True Value; Berne Library; Old Berne Mill; Gathering Hope Food Pantry (1212 Thacher Park Road, East Berne).
Please feel free to reach out to me (text or call) with any questions you may have regarding this event or how you may support the ongoing efforts of the Gathering Hope Food Pantry.
Thank you for your continued support as we strive to support our neighbors during these very challenging economic times. Your generosity and kindness is always appreciated.
Thank You for Making Our Inaugural Miles for Meals a Success!
What an incredible day! On October 19, 2025, our community came together for Gathering Hope Food Pantry’s Miles for Meals Walk/Run — and it was a huge success!
Thanks to everyone who participated, volunteered, and donated, we raised funds to help fill our shelves and continue providing food and resources to families in need throughout the Hilltowns.
A special thank-you to Helderberg Mountain Brewing Company for hosting, the wonderful and talented Black Mountain Symphony for the great music, BBQ Delights, White Knight Racing, and the Berne Public Library (Kathy and Christine).
We would also like to thank our amazing sponsors — MCWB Architects, Center for Eye Care Excellence, KeanCom, and Atlas Copco — as well as all our supporters for making this event possible!
We can’t wait to see you all next year for the 2nd Annual Miles for Meals!
To learn more or get involved, email us at info@gatherhopefoodpantry.org or visit our Facebook page Gathering Hope Food Pantry
Renovations!
A lot of great volunteers (over 2 dozen!) and professionals have been hard at work renovating the hall at Thompson's Lake Reformed Church for the use by the food pantry. Special thanks to the local businesses that helped us out with these renovations:
AR Electric (complete electrical upgrade throughout the building)
Meyer Electric (HVAC installation)
Fox Valley Land and Cattle (excavating)
Artisan Building and Restoration (doors and interior trim)
and LOTS of volunteer hours for plumbing, drywall, concrete, flooring, painting, demolition, and much more!
Much of the renovation materials were provided through grants from the Home Depot Foundation.
Check Out What We're Up To!
Book Donations Needed:
Please send e-mail to info@gatheringhopefoodpantry.org to setup a time when books can be dropped off.
People helping people: One of our young Hilltown residents helping others.
Matthew has been a dedicated Boy Scout for six years and successfully completed his Eagle Scout project by building a Little Free Library. Inspired by his family’s love of these libraries, he recognized their ability to promote literacy, spark curiosity, and strengthen community involvement. The project is also listed on the official Little Free Library online platform, which maps and shares library locations across communities. https://littlefreelibrary.org/map/
In addition to his scouting achievements, Matthew attended a 2.5-week NROTC officer bootcamp this past summer, earning the rank of Midshipman in the United States Navy. He is currently enrolled in the NROTC program at RPI, where he is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, with the goal of commissioning as a Surface Warfare Officer.
Matthew is a freshman at RPI and a proud graduate of Berne, Knox, Westerlo Class of 2025.
