‘Building a home to serve Greenwich’

Cohen foundation makes $1.5 million gift to food pantry

GREENWICH — One of Greenwich’s best-known residents has come jogging in from the bullpen to offer a big boost to Neighbor to Neighbor.

The town’s nonprofit food pantry, which has seen the need for its services skyrocket during the COVID-19 pandemic, announced Wednesday morning that it had received a $1.5 million leadership gift from town residents Steven and Alexandra Cohen, through their foundation.

“We are incredibly grateful to Steve and Alex Cohen, who exemplify partnerships in philanthropy by making a transformative investment in the communi

ty,” Executive Director Margaret Tjimos Goldberg said. “Neighbor to Neighbor relies on community partners like Steve and Alex, and we know that their leadership and generosity will inspire others.”

Its new headquarters, which is under construction on East Putnam Avenue, will be called The Cohen Center for Neighbor to Neighbor.

Cohen is chairman, CEO and founder of the Stamford-based hedge fund Point72. And as the new majority owner of the New York Mets, he has taken on a prominent online role, with his tweets shared and celebrated by the team’s fans.

The Steve and Alexandra Cohen Foundation has previously supported local projects, including the outdoor ice rink at Stamford’s Mill River Park and a children’s treatment center at Stamford Hospital.

“We are happy to be there to help Neighbor to Neighbor reach their goal of building a home to serve Greenwich,” said Alex Cohen, who serves as foundation president. “It doesn’t matter what ZIP code you come from, there will always be people who can use the support of their community.”

Neighbor to Neighbor is building a new 6,363-square-foot building on the campus of Christ Church at 248 E. Putnam Ave. Before the COVID-19 crisis, the church had housed Neighbor to

Neighbor in a 2,300-square-foot space inside the church building that was difficult to access down a staircase.

According to the nonprofit, the new building will have “ample space” for Neighbor to Neighbor’s clients, staff and volunteers under one roof. “The spacious, lightfilled environment will enhance their commitment to serve income-qualified clients with dignity

and respect,” the nonprofit said.

The new building will also comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, which the previous headquarters had not been, and offers sustainable design features.

During the pandemic, Neighbor to Neighbor said it has seen “an unprecedented increase” in demand for its food services. It

currently supplies about 525 households in town each week with food items.

“We have seen an increasing need in our community, and currently, 42 percent of our clients are children,” Goldberg said. “Our mission is to provide reliable and sustained access to food to assist clients in need, and our new building will enable us to support those who rely on us in an atmosphere of kindness and respect.”

More than 20 percent of residents lack the income needed to cover basic necessities and 28 percent of the students in the Greenwich Public Schools qualify for free or subsidized lunches, Neighbor to Neighbor said.

“Experiencing food insecurity at a young age can have lasting effects on children’s development, health and well-being, especially if families have to choose between food and medical care,” it said in a statement.

With the increased demand and need for social distancing, Neighbor to Neighbor left Christ Church in April 2020 and moved its food pantry to the Arch Street Teen Center. That arrangement ended at the end of April 2021, when Neighbor to Neighbor moved its operations to the North Greenwich Congregational Church on Riversville Road.

First Selectman Fred Camillo also thanked the foundation for its gift.

“As a longtime advocate for investing in our community, especially through public-private partnerships, I commend Steve and Alex Cohen for their continued generosity and investment in resources that provide essential services to our residents, such as Neighbor to Neighbor,” Camillo said. “Their civic spirit is truly representative of all that we cherish here in town.”

For more information on Neighbor to Neighbor, visit www.ntngreenwich.org.

Tyler Sizemore / Hearst Connecticut Media Construction continues on the new Neighbor to Neighbor food pantry in Greenwich on Wednesday. Below, an artist’s rendering of the new pantry expected to open this fall on the Christ Church campus.

Contributed image / Neighbor to Neighbor

Tyler Sizemore / Hearst Connecticut Media file photo TAG Executive Director Debbie Vetromile, left, loads up a cart with help from a volunteer at the former headquarters of Neighbor to Neighbor at the Arch Street Teen Center on Dec. 21. TAG has been assisting Neighbor to Neighbor’s food distribution efforts since March 2020.