Melinda Lehman Steps Down as President of Larchmont Mamaroneck Hunger Task Force; Malcolm Frouman Takes Over the Role

Mamaroneck, NY (February 27, 2014) – Melinda Lehman is stepping down as President of the Larchmont Mamaroneck Hunger Task Force, aka the Food Pantry, a position she has held since 2009.

                  Malcolm Frouman will become the new President effective March 1, 2014.

                  Under Ms. Lehman’s leadership, the 20-year-old organization she characterizes as “amazing” improved the quality of food it provides, embraced new technology, began packing groceries in reusable bags, and welcomed clients as volunteers.

                  Providing higher-quality food to those in need topped Lehman’s list of accomplishments. “Thanks to expanded freezer and refrigeration capacity, the Food Pantry can now offer cheese, yogurt and two frozen proteins such as fish or chicken in place of the less-healthy canned goods that were our mainstay,” Lehman explained. The organization also replaced powdered milk with shelf-stabilized milk.

                  Lehman spearheaded a new website and a Facebook page for the Food Pantry, but the technological change with the most impact occurred this past December. “We launched a new barcode system that automates what was a labor-intensive and time-consuming process for registering and cataloging the approximately 380 families we serve each time we are open,” Lehman said. “The system was developed by a volunteer at no cost to us.”

                  In addition, four years ago the Food Pantry replaced its paper bags with reusable cloth bags that clients return to the Pantry each week. “We can pack more food in the cloth bags because they don’t break, and they are better for the environment,” Lehman said.

                  On welcoming clients as volunteers, Lehman noted, “Our clients are invested in the success of the Food Pantry.”

                  Six years ago Mr. Frouman was introduced to the Food Pantry by his wife, who was also a volunteer at the time.  Five years ago, he became the leader of the busy Tuesday evening food distribution shift.

                  Frouman described what makes his involvement with the Food Pantry so meaningful. “I am constantly impressed by the commitment of our volunteers who come from all walks of life and take their responsibilities seriously. And the heart-felt gratitude we receive from our clients is extremely gratifying.”

                  In assuming the role of President, Frouman said he hopes to contribute to the organization by “applying his professional background as a manager to volunteerism.” Frouman was the Art Director of Business Week magazine for 22 years and is a freelance graphic designer. He has lived in Larchmont for 20 years and he and his wife raised two children in the community.

Lehman plans to continue to volunteer with the Food Pantry while pursuing a Masters degree in social work at Fordham University. “The experience of volunteering at the Food Pantry opened my eyes to the needs within our community and I want to be able to get involved even more deeply,” she said.

The Larchmont Mamaroneck Hunger Task Force is an all-volunteer coalition of community organizations, houses of worship and concerned citizens dedicated to assisting families living in Larchmont and Mamaroneck who need food. It runs a food pantry that distributes a nutritional bag of groceries providing four days of meals, twice a month. To learn more, to volunteer, or to donate, visit us on the web at www.LMFoodPantry.org.