It has been five years since a June 2018 plane crash took the lives of Ben and Bonnie Krupinski. Both are still mourned by family and friends, but also by a community that is grateful for their philanthropic generosity.
The East Hampton Food Pantry is just one small example. More than a decade ago, the local builder read an article about the surprising number of clients who use the food pantry every week to feed their families. His response: He donated and built a distribution and storage area for the organization, which was then based in Windmill Village II.
The East Hampton Food Pantry — which is cheekily expanding its New Year’s Day Polar Bear Plunge fundraiser at Main Beach into a balmier summer event on July 12 — is even more crucial today, serving 300 families every week. A total of 25,000 people were helped last year, and the pantry was invaluable during the pandemic.
Someone out there is reading this, just as Ben Krupinski did some 14 years ago. Here is the most valuable of local institutions, a literal lifesaver. It runs on pure generosity: donations, and the sweat equity of 30 volunteers. It’s a perfect place to make a significant impact, if you have the means to do that.
Nobody will replace the Krupinskis — but here’s hoping someone tries.
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