feature story / 33 The Best Ways to Help Donate items that are most needed: shelf-stable milk, peanut butter, low-sugar hot or cold cereal, rice, dried beans, whole-wheat pasta, tuna, canned pasta sauce. • Donate regular (not giant) sizes, which lets the pantry give out more items. • Avoid ramen, mac & cheese, sugary cereals, salty canned soup, and glass. • For rice, donate a one-pound bag or a 20-pound bag, which volunteers will break down into smaller portions. • Donate paper and plastic bags, ideally with a paper bag tucked into a plastic one. • Check expiration dates! • If you run a food drive, please tell Cahill in advance so she can suggest most-needed food items and be ready for the delivery. • Consider pre-sorting the items collected in a food drive, or better yet, help to load them onto the shelves. • Check out the pantry’s SignUpGenius, searchable by katecahill50@gmail.com. The Multiplier Effect Local resident makes donating easy BY CHRIS COSTANZO Claire Sinclair harnesses her connections on social media to conduct neighbor- hood drives for items needed by local food pantries. W hen Ma- plewood resident C l a i r e Sinclair f o u n d out that the Interfaith Food Pantry in Orange, one of the few in the area that distrib- utes diapers, had run out of stock, she decided to do something about it by soliciting donations through Facebook posts on SOMA Lounge, Maplewood Moms, and her own page. The result: a pile of donations for needy moms reaching literally to her living room ceiling – about 7,000 dia- pers altogether. It was just another example of Sin- We keep you smiling! 250 Millburn Avenue | Millburn 973-467-0077 Saturdays and Evenings Available On site parking | Convenient location Wendy Wisz, DMD General, Restorative & Cosmetic Dentistry Every effort is made to ensure the utmost comfort for each patient. Enjoy a modern professional environment and a caring staff. As a former faculty member of Fairleigh Dickinson Dental School, Dr. Wisz now devotes all her time to private practice.