EAST LONGMEADOW – Food drives are fairly common during the cold months of the year. Businesses and organizations collect much-needed cans and other non-perishables for local non-profit organizations, but there are other items that are in great demand that go overlooked during the giving season.

Patty Aleks, owner of Frank’s Auto in East Longmeadow decided to tackle that need by hosting a non-food drive to benefit Open Pantry Community Services in Springfield and the East Longmeadow Council on Aging.

Franks’s Auto has organized two drives – one in each of the last two months of the year. The ongoing November drive is for hygiene needs. They are collecting sealed products that include toothpaste, toothbrushes, tissues, shampoo, conditioner, deodorant and products for adult incontinence and feminine hygiene.

In December, the drive will be for the foodstuffs that are not regularly donated, such as coffee (including decaf), tea, hot cocoa, boxed or bagged cereal and any type of crackers.

“We’ve had a few customers who have been very generous,” Aleks said, but, she admitted, they have not collected as many donations as she had hoped. “If someone wants to drop off some items for the December Drive [during November], we’re certainly not going to turn them away.”

Aleks was inspired by a drive earlier in the fall in which the Town of East Longmeadow had been collecting donations. Aleks said she decided she would try it herself. When she contacted the Open Pantry, she was told that they had plenty of canned goods, but there were other items needed.

“I’ve lived in town all my life. We deal with a lot of seniors and money is tight with everyone,” Aleks said.

She was quick to note that pantries benefit more than seniors.

East Longmeadow Council on Aging Pantry Coordinator Tracey Walz said that the pantry there serves many people in town. “With COVID, we’ve had a very high increase,” Walz said. The Open Pantry website notes that 63 percent of people it serves are families and 40 percent of food is distributed to children.

“The program provides services to people who are homeless,” said Kim A. Kennedy, development director for Open Pantry Community Services, so, “we can use trial size toiletries for our Open Door Social Service Program.”

Walz said that some of the hardest things to keep in the pantry are hygiene products, because “everyone needs toilet paper, toothpaste, things for hygiene.”

Kennedy added, “We are always in need of protein items at our Emergency Food Pantry – peanut butter, canned meats, [such as] ham, chicken [and] tuna.”

At the COA, Walz said they’re looking for hot cocoa, coffee, condiments, cereal and oatmeal. Walz noted. “You think of a meal, but people like to have a snack, too.”

The pantries can take non-expired, unopened or individually wrapped items. Frozen goods are not eligible for donation to the COA. All donations can be dropped off at Frank’s Auto, 528 North Main St., East Longmeadow through the month of December.