Stories

Derrick’s Story

Posted on by arm-admin
When COVID-19 came to our community, Arm In Arm was quick to adapt and provide our food services through home delivery. As we continued to see rising numbers of families in need of support, we knew our team would have to expand in response. We are thankful to welcome Derrick, who brings with him 14 years of food service from Princeton University. As a Delivery Specialist here at Arm In Arm, Derric...
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Phil’s Story

Posted on by arm-admin
Volunteering at the Hanover Street Pantry during the pandemic is quite different. While I dearly miss being able to greet and serve the families of the community, I am uplifted by the spirit of the staff and fellow volunteers at the pantry working with a new sense of urgency. Our community is faced with unprecedented need and Arm In Arm's staff and volunteers are trying to do our part by packing g...
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Brenda’s Story

Posted on by arm-admin
Brenda grabs a McCaffrey’s grocery bag and doubles it up with a second. This grocery supply she is gathering for a family will be heavy, and she doesn’t want the bag to break. She reaches out for a can of tuna, jars of peanut butter, a container of shelf-stable milk. She refills crates around her stocking station with rice, pasta, canned vegetables and fruit, and every other item she needs to fill...
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Amy’s Story

Posted on by arm-admin
My son and I were glad to have the opportunity to pitch in by delivering groceries from the Hanover Street pantry. Arm In Arm is functioning like a well-oiled machine, and when we arrived to pick up the groceries, they were already neatly packed, two bags per location, with a list of addresses and even a map to follow. It was so easy! I was also very happy to see that the food we were delivering w...
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Cecilia’s Story

Posted on by arm-admin
“One of the things I love about our Princeton community is the diversity,” said Cecilia Avila, coordinator of Arm In Arm’s Princeton pantry. “But it is hard to see some people being hurt by this crisis more than others. Our undocumented neighbors are especially hurting right now.”  While most people experiencing the pain of layoffs and furloughs resulting from COVID-19 have the opportunity to a...
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William’s Story

Posted on by arm-admin
I’m used to being in the trenches. I’m used to interfacing with the clientele up close and personal. Now everything is so spread apart and so far distanced. I mainly deal with the homeless population and those that are underserved. With social distancing, I barely see anyone. Very seldom do I get a call, because most of the clientele I deal with don’t have access to telecommunications or they woul...
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Luis’ Story

Posted on by arm-admin
It was late March, and Arm In Arm was in the midst of launching 100% mobile delivery due to the growing COVID-19 crisis. Bullet shots rang out as I drove away from our pantry. I said a silent prayer in a time when many may be questioning a higher power. I said it anyway, because I know from personal experience that bullets have no name and  those shots can be fatal. It’s been a few weeks si...
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Shariq’s Story

Posted on by arm-admin
Shariq surveys the volunteers packing bags on a Wednesday morning. He checks on their stock of each food item, hauling bulk trays of canned corn, plastic wrapped bins of peanut butter, and noisy boxes of dry pasta up from storage. He refills supplies for each volunteer, and then he reorganizes bags piled high with groceries, counting out the total of each stack. The next day, still wearing ...
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Homeless Doesn’t Have To Be Hopeless

Posted on by arm-admin
“220…216…214….Where is 212?” I asked myself out loud. I had one delivery left, but the houses and numbers seemed to stop and then disappear. Where was 212? I pulled over into a parking lot to regroup. The dry cleaners attached to the lot looked abandoned, but as I took in my surroundings, I was surprised to realize 8 other cars were parked nearby. Suddenly, a man popped out of one of the...
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What Separates Us, Unites Us

Posted on by arm-admin
When we pulled up, the house looked dark inside. A few moments later, my son Mack and I were standing in front of the home; in our rubber-gloved hands were bags of food. Earlier in the week, Arm In Arm staff had called families to arrange grocery deliveries. Volunteers had filled bags bursting at the seams with canned fruits and veggies, cereal, peanut butter, pasta, meat, and more. That mornin...
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