By Michelle Moskowitz
Sentinel Correspondent
While shopping for groceries this week, be sure to pick up an extra jar of peanut butter, jelly or both.
April marks the third annual Peanut Butter & Jelly Challenge, hosted by the Diamond Hill United Methodist Church, and Little Pub, a neighborhood local eatery and lively pub next door to the church.
All donations benefit Neighbor to Neighbor, a local non-profit, providing food throughout the Greenwich area, as well as clothing and other basic living essentials to those in need.
Neighbor to Neighbor provides over 300,000 healthy meals per year, serving seniors, working poor, the unemployed, and adults with special needs.
Half of the people they serve in the community are children.
“We should always be conscious of helping out our neighbors,” said Rev. Carol Bloom off Diamond Hill UMC.
“In Greenwich, despite what people might believe, there are plenty of those in need and people who can help, have a responsibility to do so.”
Bloom and Bill Taylor, general manager at Little Pub, are friendly neighbors in Cos Cob.
They decided that while a church and a pub may form an unlikely pairing, they wanted to come up with a shared way to help the community in a fun and light-hearted manner.
Collection boxes for peanut butter are available at Diamond Hill UMC, located at 521 East Putnam Ave. and for jelly, at Little Pub, located at 531 East Putnam Ave.
“We are a neighborhood establishment and want to contribute to the local community,” said Taylor.
Patrons dining at Little Pub during the month of April can also contribute to the food drive by adding a $5 donation to their bill.
“Little Pub has an added advantage over us with that, but we will still see who wins,” chuckled Bloom.
Diamond Hill UMC partners with Neighbor to Neighbor on several events throughout the year such as the “Backpack & School Supply Drive,” an “Angel Tree” during the Christmas season, as well as a chili cook off.
Last year’s winner was Diamond Hill UMC, with 151 jars of peanut butter compared to Little Pub’s collection of 127 jars of jelly.
“This year, we hope to collect at least 100 more jars if possible,” said Rev. Bloom.
“And especially with allergies today, we will take all types of butters that people want to contribute,” added Rev. Bloom.
Visit diamondhillumc.com, littlepub.com and ntngreenwich.org for more information.
