While taking the agricultural leadership course Lead NY at Cornell University in 2007, Margaret “Peggy” Murray of Copenhagen collected food for the Copenhagen Food Pantry and others as part of her community service commitment. She set up collection boxes at farms and distributed the food to six rural food distribution sites in Jefferson and Lewis counties.

When Murray saw the need, she began volunteering at the Copenhagen Food Pantry. She worked with Crane for 6.5 years until the coordinator decided to retire and Murray took over.

As a coordinator, Murray was responsible for purchasing food from the Central New York Food Bank, completing paperwork, and organizing volunteers to receive deliveries and distribute the food.

The coordinator said the pantry serves about 25 to 30 families through monthly distribution. That number doubles during the holidays, when there is an angel tree to collect Christmas gifts and about 50 boxes of food are provided for those in need.

Murray said there were grants for funding and the community had been “very generous.”

She pointed out that the local school and churches as well as the Knights of Columbus had contributed donations in kind and money.

After 10 years, Murray decided to call it a day.

She said she would miss the clients and volunteers she worked with.

“We worked well together – we were like-minded to help local families,” she said of her fellow volunteers, who include Janette St. Louis, who has volunteered for over 25 years.

The outgoing director said she would also miss the families she had looked after. “Many have become friends.”

Murray said she has only missed two distribution days in the past decade and that family activities have been planned around the food distribution.

“I had to be more flexible. Last July, I quit,” she said, noting that the pantry, like others in Lewis County, is under the auspices of Lewis County Opportunities. “None of the other volunteers wanted the coordinator position.”

Murray said St. Mary’s Church was a wonderful host for the food distribution.

“Sister (Mary Ellen Brett) was wonderful and when she left, Biff Green helped,” she said.

In January, the River of Life Fellowship agreed to take over the food distribution.

Church member Michelle Blair agreed to serve as coordinator at the new location, 9871 Number Three Road.

To prepare for her new position, Blair accompanied Murray in April and visited other food distribution sites in Lewis County.

The retiree said she wanted to volunteer to help others, especially those suffering from food insecurity.

“We wanted to keep it in the community to help the people in the Copenhagen School District so they don’t have to go without,” Blair said. “I think it’s going to work great.”

The new coordinator said the same distribution schedule – 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on the third Wednesday of the month – will be maintained for now, but customers will be surveyed to see if any changes need to be made and to ask about food preferences.

She also pointed out that customers will no longer receive pre-packaged food parcels, but will have the opportunity to select the food of their choice according to a points system established by the food bank.

“This way, they get what they want and not what they don’t need,” she explained. They can choose from a range of protein-containing products, vegetables, fruits and starches.

The food pantry will continue to respond to emergencies through Lewis County Opportunities. Anyone in need of immediate assistance can call 315-376-8202 or email the food pantry at [email protected].

Blair said she hopes to provide recipes to clients in the future so they can better utilize the food provided.

The food bank received its first food shipment from the Central New York Food Bank on August 2 and will be open from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on August 21 for distribution to individuals in the Copenhagen School District who meet income requirements.

For more information about the food distribution, visit their Facebook page.