HVCC Chief: "We're going to do what we can to meet the demand."

Hockanum Valley Community Council CEO David Engelson was pulling no punches on Monday.

"We're all worn out. We're tired. We're working hard but we're tired," he said.

He was not even sure of the totals from the weekend's emergency food drive for the Tri-Town Food Pantry. He considered the event at both Vernon Stop & Shops a tremendous outpouring of generosity, but he is unsure how long it would last after this week.  

"The economy has hurt us and now the calamities - the natural disasters," he said. "This snowstorm was truly the perfect storm."

And it has left the food pantry feeling like many of the trees that went down - in pieces and waiting for collection.

Engelson said the pantry was just beginning to recover from the depleted stocks after Hurricane Irene when the snowstorm hit on Oct. 29.

The pantry was essentially closed down for a week except for a cooler and freezer running on generator power.

"People were knocking on our door and we gave them what we had," he said. 

The grocery stores that send their day-old bread and other provisions to the pantry were not in business and when they came back on line, they were not getting any deliveries and were selling what they could to the community.

"It was a complete domino effect - the perfect storm effect - and we can't make up that kind of a loss. It is so hard, so incredible," Engelson said.

"We're struggling. I don't know exactly where I am," Engelson added. "The local schools, the faith groups, the police department, the fire department, scouts the Rotary, ECHN, the Explorers, the EMTs, Stop & Shop - they have all been wonderful. One man took it upon himself to get as truck and get it filled."

Engelson said the plan if to give away what it can for Thanksgiving and then regroup and look toward Christmas.

"What we felt for the 8 to 10 days all of us were personally without power?  My clients live that every single day," he said.

Engelson said he will try to build up inventory one can at a time if he has to.

"I have had people apologize for not being able to give more than one item," he said. "I look at it this way. That is one item I did not have five seconds earlier. I am not sure we will have enough to meet the demand for Christmas, but we just need to be one and all to makes this work. None of us should be able to walk away without making small contribution."

One alternative to the Christmas basket will be Rein's Deli opening its doors to 300 to 400 HVCC clients for a Christmas Day meal.

Lynch Toyota is supplying toys for the youngsters.

"We know we can do that," Engelson said. "We're going to do what we can to meet the demand."