It was another successful food pantry on January 27. Eight new families registered – 3 T-burg, 3 Ithaca, 1 Ovid, and 1 Dryden. Two of the families had 4 or more members. I finally took the Food Safety Quiz suggested by the Food Bank of the Southern Tier and earned my certificate. I am not exactly sure what this allows me to do, but the task is done. We need heavy lifters for the morning set-up as some of our personnel have left for warmer climates down south. If anyone has a desire and the strength to help unload the food truck, set up the tables at the food pantry, or carry boxes downstairs for storage, please come to the Methodist Church at 8 a.m. on pantry mornings. The next pantry is on February 10. The 2025 Empty Bowls event will be held on Sunday, March 30, from noon - 3 p.m. at Atlas Bowl. We have been asked to donate cookies for this event. If you are interested in making 2 dozen cookies, please see me after church or email me at SusanUlrich.48@gmail.com. Thank you! On Monday, December 30, the pantry served 85 families made up of 167 individuals (21 children, 71 adults, 75 seniors). We had 8 new families; 2 of which were larger families (4+). All were from various locations: Newfield (1), Elmira (1), Ithaca (3), and Trumansburg (3). We had one hotline call from a regular customer who had run into a snag with making connections. Happy New Year to all! I hope 2025 is your best year yet!