MILFORD – More than 350 canned and non-perishable food items were donated recently to the Ecumenical Food Pantry in Milford, by the Grey Towers Heritage Association, partner organization of the US Forest Service at Grey Towers National Historic Site, Milford.

The items were collected from visitors who attended the annual ice cream social and fee-free day at Grey Towers this fall. The ice cream social recreated the popular community ice cream socials that Gov. Gifford Pinchot hosted at his family home in the 1920s and 1930s. The fee-free day offered free tours of the Grey Towers mansion, the original Pinchot home, in recognition of National Public Lands Day.

“The only requirement for attending this free public day was to bring a canned item to help out our community, much the same way that the Pinchot family gave back to the community when they lived at Grey Towers,” said Barbara Buchanan, President of the GTHA.

The legacy of giving dates back to James and Mary Pinchot, who built Grey Towers in 1886 and taught their children the value of philanthropy and community support. Each chose livelihoods that improved society: Gifford founded and became first chief of the US Forest Service and two-term PA Governor; Antoinette a humanitarian during World War I and Amos founded the American Civil Liberties Union.

The GTHA is a non-profit private organization that supports the public programs at  Grey Towers National Historic Site.  In addition to providing a link between the US Forest Service and the community, they support the volunteer program and provide a number of public programs, including film, music and literary works.

For more information about GTHA, visit www.greytowers.org