You’ve seen them around town: purple wooden boxes with light blue doors. No neon signs or padlocks, just a joyfully colored box on a property near the road. They contain much-needed, free-for-the-taking food donated by those who care.
The Purple Pantry Box movement was started by public defense attorney Susan Brown only three years ago. As families were impacted by unemployment during the pandemic, she saw them struggling to put food on their tables. Food pantries and drive-up food distribution options were sometimes unattainable for seniors and other low-income populations. Brown wanted free food to be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
“When I started doing this in 2020, I was helping families who needed food until their next paycheck,” says Brown. “Now, 65% of our food goes to senior citizens whose income has not risen even though the cost of living has significantly.” In 2020, she placed three plastic bins of food on the properties of the Milford Senior Center, Firehouse Art Gallery, and a corner in Woodmont. The food was gone shortly thereafter.
Today this 501(c)(3) organization has evolved into 12 all-weather boxes built by Brown’s neighbor Chris Grejtak. They are tended to by 30 volunteers (there are no paid employees) and multiple civic organizations. There are another five boxes in neighboring towns which are maintained by their hosts, who have been specially trained to do so.
Each Purple Pantry Box in Milford is visited every day by a volunteer who cleans and restocks it. The food is donated by local organizations and businesses that conduct food drives, or is purchased by Brown and her volunteers thanks to monetary donations to the organization. Food is also donated directly to the boxes by caring residents. Donated food must be non-perishable and shelf stable, like canned proteins (tuna, chicken, sardines, sausages, etc.), peanut butter, water, nuts, or toiletries. Donors should be sure that all items are completely sealed and expiration dates are checked before donating.
“We distribute more than 10,000 pieces of food a month,” says Brown, who retired last year and now focuses on providing free food to those who need it. Last year, Purple Pantry Boxes was awarded “Best Local Cause” by the Milford Regional Chamber of Commerce, and Brown won “Volunteer of the Year.” She was also honored as “Elks Distinguished Citizen 2022” by Elks Lodge #1589.
“As a public defender, I helped people every day and loved it. I have always been aware that I am fortunate while others are not,” she says.
