Stepping Up for Kids

Each week Enfield Food Shelf opens its pantry doors so that neighbors facing food insecurity can shop for groceries for their families. They select staple pantry items, along with fresh produce, meats, and dairy items, plus toiletries, cleaning products, and household goods. This week shoppers will be offered a special treat - a brand new pair of sneakers for each child aged 16 and under.

This distribution is possible thanks to a generous donation from the John P. Dion Foundation. President/Founder, John Dion and his brother Jim, Director/Board Member, grew up in Enfield and feel strongly about giving back to their community. Jim says, “Our foundation focuses mainly on programming that supports youth because we believe children are the least capable of helping themselves in their current situations. We partner with Enfield Food Shelf because they have a proven and trusted approach to distribution to those in need”.

Kathleen Souvigney, Executive Director at Enfield Food Shelf, says this kind of donation has a huge impact on families. “For families facing food insecurity, new sneakers are often low on the priority list. Instead, families first decide how to pay the electric bill or a medical bill. Thanks to this donation more than 270 children will get new sneakers. John and Jim do a tremendous service to the community by paying extra attention to the needs of our youth”.

One grateful mother of four said, “The sneaker donation does more for my family than helping to meet our necessities; it’s also a spiritual boost of morale just to know there is still kindness and generosity in humanity. We are extremely grateful”.

Enfield Food Shelf, a 501c3 non-profit organization, provides food, basic need items, and access to community resources since 1968. An average of 375 individuals shop weekly, with almost 550,000 meals distributed annually. In addition to pantry distribution, they operate eight other programs to support seniors, students, homebound and unhoused individuals, and people experiencing emergencies. Call 860-741-7321 for more information.

The John P. Dion Foundation is in its third year of operation. They provide programming, aid, support, and charitable giving to those in need of food, clothing, shelter, healthcare, education, skills development, and transportation. Priority gifting is giving to programming focused mainly on children. This Spring, the foundation will provide its third consecutive $40,000 college scholarship to a graduating senior at Enfield High School.