The Hilton Central School District and the Hilton Education Foundation started the Cadet Cupboard food pantry for district students in the fall of 2013. Students in need receive a food pack on Fridays during the school year. The Hilton United Methodist Church (HUMC) began the Cadet Cupboard Summer Extension Program in the spring of 2015.
HUMC was pleased to be able to continue its summer program this year despite the complications caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Cadet Cupboard Summer Extension Program provided food to 18 families representing 57 children in the Hilton Central School District. There were three high school graduates, 22 secondary students, 26 elementary students, and six preschoolers who received essential, nutritious food in June, July, and August.
The program has grown into a community-wide effort to meet the needs of at-risk families. The congregation of HUMC provided monetary, food, and school supply donations while the congregations of St. Leo’s Catholic Church and St. Paul Lutheran Church provided personal care items and household items for the families. Foodlink distributed free USDA COVID-19 mixed produce and mixed dairy boxes that were picked up and brought to HUMC by church volunteers. The Hilton-Parma Emergency Food Shelf provided bags of rolls. Students received grade level appropriate books to read courtesy of Mainly Books. Elementary students received handmade quilts from Project Linus. Hilton Tops aided the project by filling HUMC’s special orders during times of uncertain availability of food items.
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