GREENWICH — Finally, the nonprofit Neighbor to Neighbor opened the doors to its new home in the pantry Monday morning.
“It’s a dream come true, it’s such a deep feeling,” said Margaret Timothy Goldberg, executive director of Naver to Naver, adding several times that she was “enthusiastic” about the opening.
The neighbor-to-neighbor Cohen Center covers over 6,300 square feet and is located on the Christ Church Greenwich campus on East Putnam Avenue, not far from what was formerly in the basement of another church building.
Inside, a new center has been set up that looks like a small market, with shelves full of canned goods. and other groceries. There is also refrigeration and safe storage of items previously not carried in small areas, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, milk and eggs.
Clients can now browse the shelves and select their own food items.
“We wanted this to be welcomed and people to come and find exactly what they found at their local market,” says Goldberg.
The new facility will enable Naver to Neighbor to better serve its customers, said Carolina Mendez, who oversees operations at the food pantry.
“People can now shop for themselves instead of just getting deliveries for things they don’t necessarily need,” Mendez said. You can choose whether you want a banana or a banana.Having a choice is very important.”
The opening of the new building comes after more than two years of moving to different locations during construction, which was met with delays due to supply chain shortages, and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since the pandemic began, Neighbor to Neighbor has been bagging food for customers to deliver or pick up. With the opening of the new headquarters, services will be provided in several ways, officials said.
Clients can “shop” for themselves. Or pre-order for pickup. Neighbor to Neighbor also continues to work with the town’s welfare department to provide deliveries through the Greenwich Transport Association.
While the number of food-strapped clients in town fluctuates, Goldberg said the nonprofit helps about 500 Greenwich families on average each week. Residents wishing to use food pantry services should contact their neighbors or the town’s welfare department.
Initially, Neighbor to Neighbor moved from its headquarters in the basement of a church to a larger space at the Arch Street Teen Center when the COVID-19 pandemic began. Demand for nonprofit food services has also surged during the pandemic.
Neighbor to Neighbor moved to North Greenwich Congregational Church in the backcountry after a teenage center planned to reopen but became unavailable.
It was then used for a temporary building in the downtown Horseneck Parking Lot and has been in use for the past year.
The new facility has several safety features to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, including filters in the HVAC system and UVC lighting. Also, arrows on the floor make sure shoppers and volunteers are facing in the same direction.
“We’ve been through so many difficult times, so having a sunny day and being together in our building makes today a special day.” And first and foremost, it’s great for the community.
Barbara Havranek, a neighbor-to-neighbour volunteer who has worked there throughout the pandemic, said she would love to see the new building.
“I feel relieved,” Havranek said. “I can feel the air. It feels good. This place and the old place don’t compare. It’s two different entities. This took a long time.”
Volunteer Emma Dohring, who helped restock the shelves on Monday, called the new building “fantastic.”
“It took a long time, but it was worth the wait,” says Doring.
Work is still going on at the new facility to set up a clothing room. That portion of Naver to Neighbor’s operations remains closed but is likely to reopen by the end of the year, Goldberg said after completing the move to the new building.
The nonprofit plans to complete the work on the second floor of the new building above a food room that stores school supplies, toothpaste, shampoo, feminine hygiene products, and other items. These items are distributed at special events, such as the recent back-to-school backpack drive at the Rotary Club of Greenwich.
Once a month, the upper floors are opened so clients can get what they need, Goldberg said.
A grand opening ceremony will be held in September.
For more information or to donate, please visit www.ntngreenwich.org.