Venture Churches Food Pantry

Open Tuesdays 9:30-11:30 am and 5:00-7:00 pm


Located at:  First Reformed Church of Bethlehem, 38 Church Road (off of Rt. 9W), Selkirk, NY


We are four local churches that have been serving people in our community for over 30 years.  This ministry comes out of our faith and belief in helping fellow people in need.  We recognize each individual has unique needs.  We treat people with respect, dignity, compassion, kindness and without judgment or discrimination.  We provide a bridge to a variety of resources and cooperate with area businesses and other local food pantries.


If you are interested in volunteering at the Food Pantry or are in need of our services, please call the church office (518) 767-2243 Mon. to Fri. from 9:00 am-1:00 pm.


Cash/check donations can be mailed to the church (please indicate pantry donation), placed in the pantry mail slot (outside the church office) or placed in the pantry donation basket. We are also a part of the “Adopt a Pantry” program run by the Regional Food Bank. If donating online is easier for you, visit http://regionalfoodbank.net/adopt-a-program. The webpage allows you to donate directly to our food bank account.

Spring has been busy in the pantry.  In April, we provided assistance to 122 people in 46 households. This included 21 children, 62 adults, and 39 senior citizens. We welcomed 4 new families to the pantry and provided alternate forms of assistance to 3 families. Our volunteers gave 171 hours to working in the pantry and servicing guests.

 

In May, we provided assistance to 149 people in 50 households. This included 33 children, 88 adults, and 28 senior citizens.  We welcomed 2 new families to the pantry and provided alternate assistance to 2 families.  Volunteers provided 125 hours of support to our pantry and guests.  

 

Representatives from the pantry attended the awards ceremony for Donna Lasher as she received the 2025 Volunteer of the Year for Albany County. We're so lucky to have her as an integral member of our pantry team.

 

VCFP was once again a beneficiary of a Fill-a-Bag event from Market 32/Price Chopper. Local stores each chose a food pantry in their community to receive the donated goods and a total of 111,540 items were distributed across the region. We received 43 pre-packaged bags which we were thrilled to pass along.  Food drives and donations such as these are integral to our ability to provide a wide variety of items to our guests.  

 

Our collection efforts for next month focus on the following items:

  • Canned pastas
  • Cleaning products
  • Meal mixes (e.g. Hamburger Helper, Seasoning Packets)
  • 100% Fruit Juices

Our gratitude goes to all of you who continue to support Venture Churches Food Pantry in thought and deed.  We could not do this work without each of you!

History of our Food Pantry

To see a need and fill it is a good business plan. It is also good church outreach. In the mid 1980's, Arlene Jordan saw that there were families in our area that did not have adequate food. She approached our then Pastor, Al Janssen with a plan to assist those families. Gifts of food and holiday meal kits wer e delivered. And the Food Pantry began in one small room downstairs.


Soon Eleanor Weideman and Ray Hohl became involved. In the early 1990's a group of 4 churches gathered with the goal of doing ecumenical good works. Calling themselves the Venture Churches, they set three goals. They set up a "Clothing Closet " at the Clarksville Reformed Church, they created a schedule of meal support for the Albany Interfaith Partnership for the Homeless (IPH). and they offered to help staff and support the food pantry housed at First Reformed Church of Bethlehem.


The food pantry grew to two rooms. One for shopping and the other to store additional goods, Peg Phillips and then Sarah Hafensteiner each took a turn at leading and growing this ministry.


As the needs of the community grew, so did the pantry. Under the leadership of Carol Broderick (with Tricia Kandafer as grant writer) the pantry joined with other pantries and came under the umbrella of the Food Bank of the Greater Northeast.


Our space was renovated by a local Boy Scout as his Eagle project. What had been a single room with three wooden shelves of canned food and dry goods is now several rooms with wire shelf units. Food is organized by nutrition type. Three freezers and two refrigerators offer meat, dairy and fresh produce items. Danielle Riggi took over leadership when Carol retired due to illness.


Our current leadership is a triumvirate of women who bring new skills and energy. Lisa Lafountain, Diane Miller and Jackie Wilkie keep a team of volunteers, several rooms of food, personal and household items and school supplies ready to serve our clients. The latest addition is a stair chair device that makes it easier for those with mobility issues to access the pantry.


Besides our monthly purchases from the food bank, we get produce and dairy items from Hudson Harvest. The Delmar Hannaford donates bakery and deli items every Tuesday. This allows us to share nutritious food with our neighbors. We continue now as The Venture Churches Food Pantry but are staffed by volunteers from many churches and the community.


All of this because one person said "People are hungry. How can we help?"