Morley K-2 students delivered approximately 72 wagons plus a car full of non-perishables to the West Hartford Food Pantry on Thursday morning.

By Ronni Newton

To say that Morley Elementary School’s youngest students delivered “wagonloads” of food to the West Hartford Food Pantry on Thursday morning would not be an exaggeration.

On a blustery and cold morning, the roughly 150 Morley students Kindergarten through grade 2 students made the annual 1.22-mile trek from their school to Town Hall, pulling and pushing what Principal Ryan Cleary said at last count was 72 wagons – mostly red, but there were some other colors as well. Members of the West Hartford Police Department and West Hartford Fire Department served as escorts for the walk.

There were roughly the same number of students as last year, Cleary said, but a dozen more filled wagons – plus a car to handle the overflow because there were more than 3,000 items donated by the Morley community. That’s a roughly 50% increase over last year, and possibly the largest donation ever.

This was the 31st anniversary of the Morley Red Wagon Food Drive, which began on a much smaller scale in 1995, and was led by Dawn O’Connor, who retired in 2016. Teachers Mary Beth Hixson and Jennifer LaForte took over as the coordinators in 2019, when the 25th anniversary of the initiative was celebrated.

Once the long line of wagons had been unloaded, with the assistance of West Hartford Public Schools administrators, Town Manager Rick Ledwith, Mayor Shari Cantor, members of the Town Council and Board of Education, town directors and staff, and volunteers from CERT, the Morley students gathered in a circle in front of Town Hall for a brief rest, and to hear from several speakers who thanked and congratulated for their efforts.

“Not only are you filling the shelves in our food pantry, but you’re also filling our hearts today,” said Tullulah Pickens, West Hartford Food Pantry coordinator. “And also to the families and volunteers, neighbors, and everybody that’s donated, I want to say thank you as well because you have joined us as the true community we are. … We’re not only feeding people but we are sharing hope.”

Superintendent of Schools Paul Vicinus, who – dressed in his Army uniform – visited Morley early this week for Veterans Day, told the students that “service comes in so many forms, and you don’t have to wear a uniform to provide service to our community.”

Principals, teachers, and those who work at the food pantry provide service every day, he said. “And today, on this very special day, you are all a part of that. On this amazing red wagon brigade, all of the support, all of the food you brought here to help support West Hartford families is so appreciated, and I just want to thank you for being great citizens and great examples for our town,” Vicinus said.

Cantor told the students that the day of the Morley red wagon brigade is a wonderful tradition, and one of her favorite days of the year. All four of her sons went to Morley, and her oldest was in the first group of kids to deliver food when the initiative started more than 30 years ago. “I am so, so, so grateful for all of you and the tradition that you have brought of generosity,” she said.

Cantor said the good feeling that the students have from helping neighbors and friends “is a feeling that you can carry all of your life by giving to others in need. And so I want you to really, really capture that feeling and understand how important it is to help others in need. If you are so lucky to not be hungry, then help people that might be.”

Cleary said one of the things being discussed at Morley this year is “a feeling of belonging,” and he’s been asking students what makes them feel like they belong, and has gotten answers like the name tags on their desks or a greeting from the teacher each morning.

“The thing about belonging is that once you feel like you belong somewhere,  you kind of have a responsibility to make other people feel like they belong, too,” Cleary said. “And that’s what you’ve done this morning. You brought all this food down here to Town Hall for families in West Hartford, and by doing that you have made those families feel like they belong here. … And the great thing about belonging is that you can depend on your neighbors for support when you need it.”

Before accompanying the students on their trek back to the school with their now-empty wagons, Cleary, who has been at Morley for 13 years, told We-Ha.com that he doesn’t recall ever having this many wagons or such large donation. He had counted 72 wagons, but a few more might have joined in at the last minute. As of yesterday, he said, there were approximately 3,000 food items, but more came in after that.

Cleary said news of the SNAP benefits being suspended and the government shutdown “has really shined a spotlight on the need for food security in town, and so I definitely think that was a factor this year because the donations were just extremely generous.”

Pickens, the food pantry coordinator, told We-Ha.com that Morley’s delivery is extremely important. “It means everything to the food pantry to know that we’re able to provide food for people in the community. Nobody should be without food.”

Pickens said that demand has recently increased, with more residents registering to use the food pantry. With the news about SNAP, donations have also been flowing in, but more is always needed. “We don’t want the donations to stop because we have December, and January, and the rest of the year.”

More than 700 families were served by the food pantry last year, Pickens said, and more than 11,000 bags of food were distributed.

Financial donations are also welcome because food can be purchased in bulk at a discount, when it’s most needed. They try to always be prepared to meet the needs of residents, to get the food off the shelves and into the hands of those who need it, Pickens said.

The items in greatest need right now include cold cereal and oatmeal; rice (1- to 2-pound packages); pasta and sauce; canned tuna, chicken, and meat; canned ravioli, chili, and baked beans; canned fruit and applesauce; peanut butter (16-18 ounce jars); soup; macaroni and cheese; rice and pasta mixes; cooking oil; juice; snack food such as granola bars and pudding cups; cake and brownie mixes. Non-food items such as toothpaste, toilet paper, soap, and feminine hygiene products are also needed.

For more information on donating food or how you can help, contact Food Pantry Coordinator Tullulah Pickens at [email protected] or 860-561-7569. You may learn more about the West Hartford Food Pantry by visiting their webpage.

Food donations can be dropped off in the Town Hall lobby at the Customer Service Desk, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Financial contributions may be sent to: Town That Cares Food Pantry, 50 South Main Street, Room 130, West Hartford, CT 06107. For more information, visit the Town That Cares webpage.

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