Celebrating a longtime Food Pantry director

When the Food Pantry Inc. of Port Washington held a dedication at its new facility on Highway 33 on Port’s west side on Nov. 12, Mike Dreier made a stop in what’s now known as the “Holiday Room of Joy,” named for his mother Joy Dreier, whose photo he held. Mrs. Dreier, who worked at the pantry from its inception in 1982 until she retired in 2015, served as the pantry’s director for decades. “She basically hugged every guest who came in,” Steve Hansen, president of the pantry’s board of directors, said. “She was so kind and caring. We wanted to do something to honor her, and this just seemed right.” Mrs. Dreier passed away in 2024. The room is used to store items for the pantry’s Gift a Child and birthday programs and provides space for volunteers to assemble these items for clients.          Photo by Sam Arendt