Make A Difference In Southbury: Where To Give Back This November

SOUTHBURY, CT — Giving Tuesday falls on Dec. 1 this year, but you don't have to wait until then to make a difference close to home.

Throughout November, local nonprofits, food pantries, animal rescues, community organizations and other groups are looking for donations, volunteers and other forms of support. Whether you have a few hours to give, items to donate or simply want to support a local cause financially, there are plenty of ways to help.

Patch rounded up organizations and opportunities to give back in and around Southbury. Needs and volunteer opportunities can change, so check directly with each organization for the latest information.

Here are some ways to make a difference in Southbury this November:

Southbury Food Bank

The Southbury Food Bank, at 88 Main St. South next to the Rathskeller Restaurant, runs a grocery-store-style pantry staffed by more than 80 volunteers. Last year, it gave out over 11,500 bags of groceries during more than 4,100 visits, and over 200 households receive regular help.

Its website lists two November food drives: Scouting for Food with the Boy Scouts on Nov. 7, and a Thanksgiving Food Drive with the Southbury Police Department and Southbury Volunteer Ambulance on Nov. 22. Blue collection bins for non-perishables are at ShopRite, Stop & Shop, Town Hall and Social Services. Donors can also use its Adopt-A-Shelf program or its Amazon wish list. Monetary gifts go through PayPal or by check to P.O. Box 68, Southbury, CT 06488. Call 203-721-0377 to volunteer.

Learn more about ways to help the Southbury Food Bank.

Calvary Food Pantry

The Calvary Food Pantry, at Calvary Southbury, 354 Kettletown Road, is open to anyone in need in Southbury and surrounding towns. It serves on the first and third Tuesdays of each month from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Volunteers help with prep and setup from 3 to 5 p.m. and with serving and cleanup from 5 to 7 p.m. Email pantry@calvarysouthbury.com or call 203-267-5441. Its page also lists current food needs.

Learn more about volunteering with the Calvary Food Pantry.

Southbury Land Trust

The Southbury Land Trust has helped conserve more than 2,000 acres since 1978. Its volunteers do stewardship, trail building, property monitoring, invasive plant removal, native plant restoration, events, outreach and office work.

Memberships and donations support its trails and preserves, and there are short-term and long-term roles. Call 203-264-4441 or email stewardship@southburylandtrust.org.

Learn more about donating to the Southbury Land Trust.

Whiskers Pet Rescue

Whiskers Pet Rescue, at 134 Main St. South in Bennett Square, is a no-kill, 501(c)(3) cat rescue that receives no government funding. It finds homes for hundreds of cats and kittens each year.

Supporters can give online, shop its wish list, foster cats or volunteer at its adoption center. Checks go to Whiskers Pet Rescue, P.O. Box 367, Southbury, CT 06488. Call 203-586-1666.

Learn more about helping Whiskers Pet Rescue.

Sustainable Southbury

Sustainable Southbury is an environmental group that has committed to filling a shelf at the Southbury Food Bank with canned fruit and applesauce each month. It needs 40 or more items a month in 15-ounce cans or individual-serving packages.

Volunteers can become collectors, who place a bin outside their home to gather neighbors’ donations and deliver them to the food bank on the second Saturday of the month between noon and 1 p.m. Sign up through its Adopt-A-Shelf volunteer form.

Learn more about volunteering with Sustainable Southbury.

Southbury Senior Services

Southbury Senior Services, at 561 Main St. South, provides information, referral and outreach services for older residents. The Senior Center in the same building serves adults 60 and older.

The town has previously recruited volunteers for its R U OK? program, which makes daily phone calls to seniors who live alone or are homebound. To ask about current opportunities, call 203-262-0651 or email senior@southbury-ct.gov.

Learn more about Southbury’s senior services.

New Opportunities Meals on Wheels

Based in nearby Waterbury, New Opportunities runs a Meals on Wheels program that serves Southbury as part of its nutrition services for seniors across the Central Naugatuck Valley and Housatonic Valley regions. The town says home-delivered meals are brought by volunteers five days a week.

To ask about delivering meals or supporting the program, call the Meals on Wheels office at 203-575-9799.

Learn more about New Opportunities Meals on Wheels.

This isn't an exhaustive list of organizations doing good work in and around Southbury. Donation needs, volunteer opportunities and hours can change, so check directly with an organization for the latest information before donating or volunteering.

This content is brought to our community by T-Mobile.