When I began the PPBs, I was a Public Defender, and I saw every day that people were struggling financially. In 2019, I asked permission to place a food pantry at the Milford Court House, where I worked, to help people who were struggling. I thought if we could help with food, folks could have less pressure. People were having to make im
When I began the PPBs, I was a Public Defender, and I saw every day that people were struggling financially. In 2019, I asked permission to place a food pantry at the Milford Court House, where I worked, to help people who were struggling. I thought if we could help with food, folks could have less pressure. People were having to make impossible choices, do I pay rent or pay a fine, do I buy diapers or food? I heard these questions every day! Unfortunately, permission was not granted and the courthouse did not get a pantry. As the reality of COVID started to set in and businesses were closing, it was clear that the population of people who struggled with difficult choices was growing.
March of 2020, The Purple Pantry Boxes began, with this in mind. We started with 3 plastic bins, filled them with food and placed them around Milford CT. Each bin had a sign, please leave the bin we will put more food in it. We also put food in the mini libraries around town. Within a month, we had our wonderful carpenter building our wood pantry boxes. We quickly placed 5 wooden pantries around the city.
Our mission was two fold, we wanted to get food to people who were struggling with food insecurity quickly and without barriers, while engaging the community, to support their neighbors in need. While there are other ways to access food, the purple pantry boxes are open for use 24 hours a day 7 days a week. You don’t need permission to take food out of a PPB, you don’t need to show proof of identification nor do you need to fill out an application. Just walk up to a PPB and open the door. Our motto is take what you need, donate what you can. People are living our motto every day. One day someone needs food and takes, while the same person puts food in a different day. No one is judging what someone needs, we only hope that their needs are taken care of. When we first began PPB, the pantries were never empty, we filled them every other day and there was always something to eat. Now, the pantries are filled every day and they are often empty within a few hours. I thought the pantries would be removed after the worst of COVID was over. It never dawned on me that the need for the pantries would continue to grow! After 6 years, we now have 18 PPBs in 4 different cities, 13 of them in Milford. Through the pantry system, we distribute over 10,000 pieces of food per month, in Milford. We engage with the community often. We speak at churches, civic organizations, schools and businesses. All you have to do is reach out, we will happily speak to your group.
So what is a PPB? A wooden structure that is filled every day with shelf stable food. The pantries are designed to be self service, Take what you need, we do not define someone’s need. We do hope that everyone remembers that many people need support and to be mindful that the food is for the community and the Panay will be filled again t
So what is a PPB? A wooden structure that is filled every day with shelf stable food. The pantries are designed to be self service, Take what you need, we do not define someone’s need. We do hope that everyone remembers that many people need support and to be mindful that the food is for the community and the Panay will be filled again tomorrow.
What food do we put in the PPBs? The goal is to have the pantries filled with nutrient dense food. To that end, we put at least 5 sources of protein in each pantry every day: tuna, sausage, chicken, sardines, meat all come in cans. We also use peanut butter, nuts, beans, jerky, protein drinks, protein bars, granola, cereal, vegetable, pasta, water, mac and cheese and rice. Toiletries are happily accepted also. All the food we use is factory sealed!
Who uses the PPBs? 1 in 3 people are struggling with food insecurity in Milford. We have 4 PPBs on housing authority land. Approximately 60% of our consumers are over the age of 60. People struggling with food insecurity come from all walks of life, elderly, people who are under employed, folks who are dealing with challenges of the high cost of rent, disabled people, and those dealing with housing insecurity.
What we can’t use in a PPB. We can’t use any perishable foods. We can’t use any food that is not factory sealed. So no baked goods in zip lock baggies, no homemade peanut butter sandwiches and no leftovers, no matter how yummy they may be. These things are put in the garbage. We don’t keep or use bags of used socks or clothes either.
Purple Pantry Boxes is only possible because of the incredible support of our community.
Over the past 6 years, we have built wonderful relationships with community partners including grocery stores, churches, clubs, community groups, schools, and many other local businesses.
Many people also donate food directly into the Purple Pantry Boxe
Purple Pantry Boxes is only possible because of the incredible support of our community.
Over the past 6 years, we have built wonderful relationships with community partners including grocery stores, churches, clubs, community groups, schools, and many other local businesses.
Many people also donate food directly into the Purple Pantry Boxes or at any of our many donation locations. We are also happy to pick up donations — just reach out to arrange a pickup. It can be as easy as leaving a bag of food on your doorstep.
Meeting the need for food in our community is an ongoing challenge. In Milford alone, we distribute more than 10,000 food items every month, which keeps our team very busy.
Would you like to help? We are always grateful when businesses and schools organize food drives, and neighborhood food drives are wonderful too.
We also accept financial donations, including through Venmo. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, we are able to raise funds to support the Purple Pantry Boxes and the work we do every day. Each year, we host a birthday party fundraiser in March and a golf tournament in May, and in 2025 we also held our first Block Party. If you have fundraising ideas or experience, we would love to hear from you.
Purple Pantry Boxes is powered entirely by volunteers. More than 30 people regularly give their time and energy to support our mission, and many different schools also volunteer with us. If you are interested in volunteering, please let us know.
We are also proud and honored to have been voted Best Local Cause in 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025.
At Purple Pantry Boxes, we believe that food is a right, not a privilege.
Please help us help our neighbors in need.
It is our goal to open a storefront in the near future. It is one of the reasons we are fundraising as much as we do.
With a storefront, we will be able to give our consumers access to perishable food items. We will have refrigeration for produce, dairy and prepared foods. We will have a microwave, so people can heat food.
We will of cour
It is our goal to open a storefront in the near future. It is one of the reasons we are fundraising as much as we do.
With a storefront, we will be able to give our consumers access to perishable food items. We will have refrigeration for produce, dairy and prepared foods. We will have a microwave, so people can heat food.
We will of course still maintain our pantries every day!
Our motto will remain the same, TAKE WHAT YOU NEED, DONATE WHAT YOU CAN!
Please let us know if you are interested in helping us reach this goal.
2025 was a year of resilience, growth, and deepening community impact for Purple Pantry Boxes. As food insecurity continued to affect families across our region, our volunteers, partners, donors, and supporters stepped up in extraordinary ways. Because PPB is 100% volunteer-run, every dollar donated went directly toward helping neighbors
2025 was a year of resilience, growth, and deepening community impact for Purple Pantry Boxes. As food insecurity continued to affect families across our region, our volunteers, partners, donors, and supporters stepped up in extraordinary ways. Because PPB is 100% volunteer-run, every dollar donated went directly toward helping neighbors in need with food, support, and dignity.
2025 By the Numbers
20 pantry boxes
$57,000 spent on food
181 home food deliveries
50 Thanksgiving home deliveries
20 civic and religious group talks
Growth, Outreach, and Community Awareness:
One of the most important parts of our mission is education. In 2025, we spoke to 20 civic and religious groups about food insecurity, why it exists, and how communities can help. These conversations continue to build awareness, spark action, and connect more people to our mission of helping others help. We were also proud to expand our reach by welcoming a new Purple Pantry Box in Branford through a partnership with the Branford YMCA and the Branford Rotary. As with other partner-supported pantries outside Milford, PPB helped provide the purple structure and guidance while local partners committed to keeping it stocked and active.
Food Access and Direct Support:
Throughout 2025, Purple Pantry Boxes continued filling all 20 pantry boxes with shelf-stable food every day, with some locations needing to be filled twice daily because of community demand. In addition to pantry support, our home delivery program grew significantly. In 2025, we completed 181 home food deliveries to neighbors in need, including 50 Thanksgiving home deliveries. These deliveries are especially important for families facing transportation barriers, health challenges, or other obstacles that make it difficult to access traditional food resources.
Another major part of our work this year was food purchasing. In 2025, PPB spent $57,000 on food, compared with $30,000 in 2024. This spending came in addition to the incredible amount of food received through donations, food drives, rescued food, and support from local businesses and community members. That combination of purchased food and donated food allowed us to continue responding to growing need across the community.
Food Rescue and Partnerships:
2025 began with a challenge when PPB lost its Stop & Shop recovered food relationship at the start of the year. In response, the organization worked hard to build and strengthen other food rescue partnerships, including Adam’s Hometown Market, Rescue USA, and ongoing bread and snack donations from Havens Harvest. The organization also shared a significant portion of rescued food with other local groups, helping extend the impact well beyond the pantry boxes themselves.
Fundraisers, Food Drives, and Community Events:
PPB remained active throughout the year with food drives, fundraisers, and community events that brought people together while helping stock the pantries and support operations. Adams Hometown Market hosted recurring food drives throughout the year, and the community continued showing up in meaningful ways.
Highlights of 2025 included:
Recognition and Gratitude
This year also brought meaningful recognition. PPB was honored in the Regional Chamber of Commerce Best Of awards, receiving recognition as Best Local Cause and Best Organization Supporting Vulnerable Populations, while Sue Brown was recognized as Best Activist/Advocate. PPB also received two $10,000 grants, critical support that helped the organization continue meeting increased need across the community.
Volunteer Power
As always, none of this work would be possible without the volunteers who shop, sort, organize, fill pantry boxes, coordinate food drives, deliver food, maintain pantry locations, speak to local groups, and keep everything moving forward. Purple Pantry Boxes continues to prove what a committed community can do when people come together with compassion and purpose. The need is real, but so is the generosity of this community.
Looking Ahead
As we move into 2026, Purple Pantry Boxes remains committed to feeding neighbors in need, growing awareness about food insecurity, and expanding the ways our community can help. Whether through food donations, financial support, volunteer time, or community partnerships, every contribution matters. Together, we are making a difference.
January and February 2024 update
We have so many local businesses that are working with us. We are thrilled to have these new and continuous partnerships: CappuGino’s, Sole to Soul, Simply Scones, Custom Illuminations, Mary Taylor Memorial United Methodist Church Souperbowl. Additionally Villa Ave Stop and Shop in Fairfield has been a gran
January and February 2024 update
We have so many local businesses that are working with us. We are thrilled to have these new and continuous partnerships: CappuGino’s, Sole to Soul, Simply Scones, Custom Illuminations, Mary Taylor Memorial United Methodist Church Souperbowl. Additionally Villa Ave Stop and Shop in Fairfield has been a grand source of donated food. We pick up donations 3x a week. The Stop and Shop on Bridgeport Ave in Milford is now hosting a permanent donation box for us and in March we will have our first food drive there. Adam’s Hometown Market gifted us with $1,000 in gift cards and we have been ordering cases of food with these; 30 cases of pasta, 3 cases of canned pineapple, 3 cases of cereal and so much more. Adam’s has hosted a donation box for us, we have monthly food drives and round ups at the cash register. The law firm of Carter Mario hosted an office wide food drive. The donation box at the American Legion has been recently emptied. The Elks procured a grant for us to buy food. We have received a grant from the Milford Bank. Trinity Point Wealth donated $1,000 in Walmart gift cards.
We continue to meet with food insecurity groups in both Milford and West Haven. We are also working with food and nutrition policy on the state level. The Milford Regional Chamber of Commerce awarded Purple Pantry Boxes the Nonprofit of Distinction based on YOUR votes. Sue happily accepted the award honoring all of our community partners and volunteers.
Food insecurity needs to be talked about every where. It isn’t a secret and together we can tackle the issue.
Things to look forward too!
We are turning 4 years old. Please join us on March 22nd at New England Brewing Company from 6:00-9:00, for a food drive and raffle fundraiser. All are welcome and entry is free. Great raffle items and a wine wall!! This event is sponsored by Wendy Barry, a family and friend to the PPB!
The Golf tournament is May. We had so much fun last year, we had to do it again.
Watch for news about our spring block party
2023 was an amazing year for the Purple Pantry Boxes (PPB). In fairness, I say every year is great, and they all have been. As we grow, the years get better, and so do we. The PPB team has grown to over 40 volunteers, which helps us with our expansion! No worries, we always have room for more volunteers 😀, more about this, so keep read
2023 was an amazing year for the Purple Pantry Boxes (PPB). In fairness, I say every year is great, and they all have been. As we grow, the years get better, and so do we. The PPB team has grown to over 40 volunteers, which helps us with our expansion! No worries, we always have room for more volunteers 😀, more about this, so keep reading. As always, it is important to note that we are all volunteers that work as a team. We are all important and appreciated.
The year began with a bang, as a representative of the PPB, Sue Brown, was invited to be part of a panel in food insecurity, Rep. James Maroney put the panel together as part of his Pints and Policy series. The event was well attended and it was the first opportunity many had to hear her speak. Additionally it was the first time Sue said publicly that Food Is A Right, Not A Privilege!! Days later, Sue was awarded Volunteer of the Year and months later PPB won Best Nonprofit by the Milford Regional Chamber of Commerce. Sue was honored to accept the award on behalf of all the PPB volunteers and the community for all of its support.
Highlights:
3 PPBs were added in 2023, including East Haven at The Old Stone Church. Milford added 2 more to the city.
The Orange, Devon, West Haven and Milford rotaries joined forces and have adopted one of the Milford PPB.
The Milford Public Schools have gotten involved, many schools have hosted food drives, Calf Penn and Live Oaks began the trend which has spread to many other schools, much thanks to the PTA/PTO involvement. The superintendent of schools office was instrumental in getting a PPB donation bin at Parsons Center.
Milford Living Magazine did an article on PPB for their summer issue.
Local Business Support:
Local businesses are very important to PPB, they not only donate to our fundraisers, they also hold food drives for us. Hair of the Dog, AT Sangha yoga, Bend Yoga, CappuGino’s, Athleta, Scents of Empowerment, Pops, Adam’s Hometown Market, ShopRite, Stop and Shop, Trinity Point Wealth, Valero Tax, Milford Health and Rehabilitation, Touchdown Nutrition, MoJoe, Metro Star, Sensitive Dentistry, Family Shoreline Chiropractic, CT Orthopaedics, Sole to Soul, New England Brewing Company, Brewport, Connecticut Beardsley Zoo.
Religious and Civic Organizations:
We speak at any organization that asks! It is part of our mission to speak openly about food insecurity, 1 in 3 people in Milford struggle with food insecurity. Did you know that? We have engaged with several churches, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, American Legion, Elks, Orange and Devon Rotary.
Fundraisers:
March is our birthday, we had our second raffle fundraiser, a yearly event, sponsored by Wendy Barry, a Coldwell Realtor.
May we had our first Golf Tournament and is now an annual event.
This fall we had our first block party! Music, food and fun!! This will definitely be a tradition added to 2024
Porchfest has houses that host donation bins.
Thanksgiving day we are gifted with 2 events; Turkey Trot and Turkey Bowl. Both hold food drives and raise money for us. Are for a touch football player or a runner/walker? These events have you covered.
Food Drives, we had over 20 food drives this year and have been gifted with more than 20 others.
Volunteer opportunities:
We use volunteers in all aspects of our daily existence. While we can use more organizers and pantry fillers, we are also looking for help with social media and networking, grant writing and fundraising.
In 2022, the Purple Pantry Boxes was awarded Best Local Cause by The Milford Regional Chamber of Commerce and everyone who voted. Our founder, Susan Brown won Volunteer of the Year due to her work with PPB and the rest of the food rescue community. Susan was also honored by the Elks Lodge #1589 and named Elks Distinguished Citizen.
We hel
In 2022, the Purple Pantry Boxes was awarded Best Local Cause by The Milford Regional Chamber of Commerce and everyone who voted. Our founder, Susan Brown won Volunteer of the Year due to her work with PPB and the rest of the food rescue community. Susan was also honored by the Elks Lodge #1589 and named Elks Distinguished Citizen.
We held 15 food drives at Supermarkets while community members hosted 17 food drives at various locations including: Devon Stroll, The Milford Bank, Peoples Bank, Haven’s Harvest, ShopRite, Adam’s Hometown Market, CappuGino’s, Staples, AT Sangha Yoga Studio, Athleta, Shoreline Family Chiropractic, Walks With Buddy, Elks, American Legion, Orange Rotary,
The following businesses also held food drives in our honor. MoJoes Gym, My Gym, Connecticut Orthopaedics, Bend Yoga, Sewa Diwali.
Stop and Shop has partnered with us 3 times with their Blooming’ 4 Good Program and we are part of their Giving Bag program.
2022 was a tremendous year for the Purple Pantry Boxes. We have our wonderful volunteers, who truly keep us growing, and our community members, who donate food on a daily basis, to thank for this.
Thank you to all who made 2022 a wonderful year. Bring on 2023!!