For the month of October, the Montauk Library has three giant boxes at its front entrance to collect donations for three good causes. This Great Give Back is aimed to help some of the most vulnerable in the community as the winter months arrive: the Montauk Food Pantry, the Retreat in East Hampton, and the Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons.
According to a release from the library, at the top of the list of requests for the food pantry are "cereal, oatmeal, diapers, and canned tuna fish." The release also specifies "no glass jars, please."
October is also Domestic Violence Awareness Month, marking an important time for the Retreat as many of its clients are women and children seeking shelter. In terms of donations, "socks, underwear, sports bras, black leggings, and full-size toiletries" would be the most helpful.
ARF has requested "unopened pet food, sheets, blankets, and towels."
Also on the topic of donations, the library gave an update on its quest to collect 1,000 pounds of recyclable plastic, reporting that its haul — 395 pounds of plastic as of last week — "is the second largest in Suffolk County." If the library is able to meet its 1,000-pound goal by June 30, 2025, Trex, a company that converts plastics into furniture, will provide it with a free bench.
Examples of plastics that are acceptable are "clean produce bags, plastic grocery store bags, bubble wrap, plastic shipping envelopes, newspaper sleeves, bread bags, ice bags, Ziploc bags, and dry cleaning bags."
These can be dropped off in one of three plastic donation boxes on the library property.
