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Smilow Club Sees Need In Backyard & Makes Impact In Frontyard

Feb 4, 2025

On a brisk January afternoon, community members, representatives from the Central Connecticut Coast YMCA, Boys & Girls Club of the Lower Naugatuck Valley staff, and Smilow Torch Club members gathered at the Joel E. Smilow Clubhouse to celebrate the grand opening of the Purple Pantry Boxes Food Pantry. This initiative was born from conversations with our friends at the YMCA and quickly gained momentum when our Torch Club members eagerly stepped up to take on the responsibility of maintaining and stocking the pantry. Located at the corner of our Smilow Clubhouse building, where the YMCA and Boys & Girls Club meet at 28 Howard Avenue in Ansonia, the Purple Pantry now stands as a beacon of community support.

What’s the Torch Club you ask? Torch Club, a “club within the Club,” addresses the character-development needs of younger adolescents at a pivotal stage in their lives. This program empowers youth to develop 21st-century leadership skills, fostering good character and integrity. Torch Club members elect officers and implement projects across four focus areas: service to Club and community, education, health and fitness, and social recreation. We are immensely proud of the Smilow Torch Club for recognizing a need in their community and taking action to address it right in their own backyard.

So what is a Purple Pantry Box? Purple Pantry Boxes were started by Susan Brown in Milford, CT. At the time, she was a Public Defender and was seeing financial insecurities first hand. In 2019 she was granted permission to place her first pantry outside of the Milford Court House. Since then, her mission and footprint have expanded.  The pantries are designed to be self service… take what you need. “We do hope that everyone remembers that many people need support and to be mindful that the food is for the community” says Susan. The goal is to have the pantries filled with nutrient dense food. You can learn more about PPB and their history here.

The Torch Club welcomes donations to keep the pantry stocked and available to everyone in the community. Donations can be dropped off directly in the pantry or at the Smilow Clubhouse. For ideas, check out this helpful grocery list from the University of Maine for food pantry contributions!

Take what you need, donate what you can.

Thanks to the dedication of the Smilow Clubhouse Torch Club, in partnership with the Central Connecticut Coast YMCA and Purple Pantry, this vision has become a reality. This initiative marks an important step toward making a meaningful impact in the Ansonia community, and we couldn’t be prouder!

Want to learn more about our programming at Boys & Girls Club of the Lower Naugatuck Valley? Check out our Programs Page to learn more about Torch Club and other leadership initiatives.