Thanks to the dedication of volunteers from “Refill the Pantry,” a collaboration of five local churches, its food drive held May 16 at the Stop & Shop on Kings Hwy Cutoff for Operation Hope’s Pantry was a tremendous success. We are indebted to Refill the Pantry and its volunteers, all donors, Stop & Shop on Kings Hwy Cutoff, and Thrivent for continuing to help our neighbors in need.
On May 16, the group collected an impressive 2,600 lbs of groceries and also raised $1,050, providing vital support for families facing food insecurity in our community. Thank you to the community for responding with incredible generosity!
Refill the Pantry’s efforts to restock the pantry shelves of nine Fairfield County towns continues to grow year over year. In 2025, over 32,000 pounds (16 tons) of food were gathered and $16,000 – a 40% increase over the 2024 collection. Operation Hope is deeply grateful to be included in this outreach effort. Save the date for October 10 at the Stop & Shop on Kings Hwy Cutoff for the next “Refill the Pantry” drive for Operation Hope!
ABOUT REFILL THE PANTRY
Now in its fifth year, Refill the Pantry is spearheaded by the First Presbyterian Church (Fairfield), Our Saviour’s Lutheran (Fairfield), Holy Cross Lutheran (Trumbull), Grace Lutheran (Stratford), and Good Shepherd Lutheran (Monroe). This year, the initiative will conduct 19 collection events to support 11 local food pantries, ensuring food assistance reaches families in Bridgeport, Brookfield, Fairfield, Monroe, Shelton, Stratford, Trumbull and Westport.
Refill the Pantry is sponsored by Thrivent, a Minneapolis-based Fortune 500 financial services company that helps build, grow and protect financial well-being through purpose-driven advice, investments, insurance, banking and generosity programs. Thrivent serves more than 2.4 million clients through thousands of financial advisors across the country and has more than $193 billion in assets under management/advisement (as of 12/31/24). Thrivent carries strong financial ratings from independent rating agencies – including AM Best, Moody’s and S&P Global Ratings – which demonstrate the company’s financial strength, stability and ability to pay claims. Ratings don’t apply to investment product performance, and more information can be found on each rating agency’s website.