Since the beginning pandemic, members of the Mid-Island Rotary have delivered food and masks to food pantries throughout Staten Island every month.
At the end of December, they supplied the Oakwood Community food pantry, the St. Joseph/St. Mary’s food pantry, the Vanderbilt Moravian Church food pantry and the El Centro food pantry with 200 bags of groceries and 200 masks.
The generous donations were made through the Bernard DelRey Memorial Fund.
Bernard was a former president and beloved member of the Mid-Island Rotary who died a few years ago. Because of the memorial fund in his name — and because of the generosity of Bernard’s family members and friends along with Lidl Grocery who matched the food purchase to double the donation — the event came to fruition and was successful.
“We originally planned on gathering enough groceries to support only two pantries, but with their match, we were able to support four, feeding many more hungry families,” said Bob Moore, president of the Mid-Island Rotary Club.
