By Amber Michelle

The call to service is strong for John Hallinan, board chairperson of CHHOP (Caring for the Hungry and Homeless of Peekskill). Hallinan, a 34-year resident of Peekskill, has spent his life helping others. After a brief career in banking, Hallinan was a school psychologist for Putnam/Northern Westchester BOCES working with emotionally challenged teens. He has been recognized for his professional and community service with several awards  including the Community Service Award from the NYS United Teachers Union in 2004.

Hallinan and his wife, Pat, have been involved in helping people experiencing homelessness for many years. They cooked meals for Jan Peek and did midnight runs to feed the homeless in New York City. “A friend of mine  told us that we should get involved with CHHOP,” recounts Hallinan. In 2016, he joined the board.

Today, Hallinan is a strong advocate for CHHOP. In his role as board chairperson, he helps shape policies for the organization, makes sure that operations are running smoothly and that CHHOP gets the support it needs.  

He and Pat began volunteering at Fred’s Pantry — the CHHOP sponsored food bank — this past fall. They would come to Fred’s Pantry on Friday, the day when food is delivered. “I became fascinated with the process,” says Hallinan. “It was a very busy day and the volunteers were really having fun.”

Hallinan recently became even more involved with Fred’s Pantry due to a change in leadership. And with the current Covid-19 crisis, other aspects of Fred’s Pantry have also changed. “Fred’s used to be a free choice pantry where people could come inside and select what they wanted,” explains Halllinan. “Now because of Covid-19, we went from a free choice pantry to bagging dry goods, produce and meat. We have been setting up tables and distributing food while maintaining social distancing.”

He has also seen an expanded need at Fred’s Pantry due to Covid-19. Demand has been so strong that Fred’s Pantry added a second distribution shift on Wednesday evenings in addition to its usual Saturday morning session.  “The numbers have gone from over 100 people weekly to over 300 people each pantry day,” comments Hallinan. “It runs the gamut of people. We all have an image of the people we expect to see at the pantry. That has broadened a lot. There are all different backgrounds. People are coming now who would never have been here before.”

What sets CHHOP apart from other organizations? Hallinan says that it is their amazing staff. “The staff is really exceptional. They go out of their way to help out,” concludes Hallinan. “The CEO Cynthia Knox, has really turned CHHOP around for the better. They are really a nice group of people to work with.”