Food Pantry

Food donations may be dropped off on the carts in the lobby of town hall during regular business hours, Monday – Friday,  8:30 AM – 4:30 PM. Most Tuesdays we are here until 5:30 PM. Carts may be taken to your car while unloading.

Large Food Donations

Please call in advance to schedule a drop off time to ensure that we have carts and staff available to assist you. 

Suzanne Oslander, Community Partnerships Manager, 860- 561-7580

Financial Donations

Checks may be sent to the address below, or you may make a donation online. 

The Town That Cares
West Hartford Social Services
50 South Main Street, Room 130
West Hartford, CT  06107

Thank you for your support! 
Please note that hours may be adjusted due to inclement weather.

Want to raise awareness for hunger in West Hartford? Organize a collection at work, in the classroom, or on your street!

The Town That Cares Food Pantry receives generous donations from workplaces, schools, faith communities, social groups and service clubs, neighborhoods and streets, and even children's birthday parties!

Step one - select your target group

Decide whether you would like to collect from coworkers, neighbors, or friends. Try to focus your food drive on one target population to keep things organized. If you have great success on your street, you can always run another drive at work!

step two - choose your dates

Hunger exists all year long, so any season is the best season to donate. Consider collecting during the spring and summer months so you won't be competing with larger annual drives around the holidays. Typically, one week is sufficient time to collect items. Make sure to highlight on your flyers when the collection will start and the deadline. 

step three - determine your theme

A themed food drive can elicit more enthusiasm from donors, and more items! Some theme ideas include:

Baby Basics – diapers (in larger sizes) & wipes
Senior Staples – plain oatmeal, low-sodium soup, healthy snacks, personal care products
Dinner Duos – pasta & sauce, refried beans & salsa, chili & rice, soup & crackers
Fruity Feast – canned & jarred fruit, dried fruit snacks, fruit cups, jelly & jam
Let’s Do Lunch – peanut butter & jelly, tuna & mayonnaise, macaroni & cheese
Kid Favorites – cereal, granola bars, macaroni & cheese, peanut butter & jelly
Exciting Extras – cooking oils, coffee, tea, condiments, snacks, cookies
WeHa’s Most Wanted – boxed pasta, spaghetti, cereal, canned meat (tuna, chicken, salmon),  jelly/jam

step four - reach out & collect items

Decide how you will reach out to your target group. If you are collecting at work, send a flyer via email to your office distribution list. If you are organizing a drive on your street, you may want to deliver flyers with your information door to door, or drop off paper grocery bags asking neighbors to put items outside on a specific date for you to pick up. Children may also like to include collection information on birthday party invitations, or host a “food collection” stand outside their house.
Social media is a great way to raise awareness about your efforts as well!

Once you have collected your items, prepare them for delivery! We kindly ask that all bags and boxes be kept to 30 pounds or less to accommodate our staff and volunteers. We also cannot accept any expired or opened items.

step five - drop off to town hall

Food donations may be dropped off on the carts in the lobby of town hall during regular business hours, Monday - Friday, 8:30AM –4:30PM. Most Tuesdays we are here until 5:30. Carts may be taken to your car while unloading.

If you need assistance or have a particularly large donation, please call the Food Pantry Coordinator at 860-561-7580 or email Suzanne Oslander to arrange a drop off time with extra help.

Please also leave a note with your name, address, and any information regarding your food drive.

Donate to The Town That Cares.