Champlain Islands Food Shelf

10/18/2026

A Halloween tradition delivered more than 2,800 pounds of food to the Champlain Islands Food Shelf.

10/15/2026

The Champlain Islands Food Shelf (CIFS) is seeking your gently used egg cartons! We buy wholesale flats of local eggs and then divide them up into dozens for our customers.

If you have any cartons to spare, please drop them off at the CIFS (St Joseph's Church; 185 Route 2 in Grand Isle) on Tuesdays from 9:30-11:30 am or Wednesdays from 2-5:30 pm. Thank you!

Photo Credit: Loaves and Fishes Pantry

10/13/2026

We are deeply grateful to Tarkis Emmons for organizing another incredible Emmons Island Haunted Trail this year. Tarkis and his team of volunteers pull off an incredibly festive (and frightfully fun) evening that supports the Champlain Islands Food Shelf (CIFS) through monetary and food donations.

This year resulted in near record donations of 2,883 pounds of food and $2,500 directly benefitting the CIFS. The day following the Haunted Trail, Tarkis tows a trailer to the CIFS loaded with the food donations to stock the shelves and tuck some supplies aside to see our Island neighbors through the cold months ahead. Many of the cans of food donated support holiday meals, including Thanksgiving. The two-day effort is made possible through the efforts of many CIFS volunteers, as well. Special thanks to Monument Farms Dairy for loaning us the milk crates that were used to move almost 3,000 pounds of food!

The Haunted Trail embodies the spirit of the Islands community where folks come together to celebrate, all while supporting our neighbors. Thanks again to the Emmons Island Haunted Trail for 16 years of partnership resulting in 27,451 pounds of food and $12,150 for the Champlain Islands Food Shelf.

🎃 The Numbers Behind the Scares Matter Most 🎃
When most people think about the Emmons Island Haunted Trail, they think about jump scares, creepy characters, and a fun fall tradition. But behind every scream is a mission that is far more important: helping local families facing food insecurity.

This year's food drive brought our total collection since 2010 to an incredible 27,451 pounds of food and $12,150 in donations.

To put that into perspective, the average person consumes roughly 4 to 5 pounds of food per day when all food and beverages are considered. Using a conservative estimate of 4.5 pounds per day, our food drive donations represent enough food for approximately 6,100 days of meals for one person.

That's more than 16 years of food for a single individual.

Unfortunately, food insecurity is a reality for many families in our community. It can affect working families, seniors on fixed incomes, individuals facing medical challenges, and children who may not know where their next meal is coming from. Food shelves and community food programs help bridge that gap, but they rely heavily on donations from people like you.

Every can, every box of food, every dollar donated, and every volunteer hour makes a difference.

Looking at these numbers, we're not just seeing pounds of food. We're seeing meals served, families supported, and a community coming together to help its neighbors.

From everyone at the Emmons Island Haunted Trail, thank you to everyone who has donated, volunteered, attended the event, or helped spread the word over the years. Together, we've turned a spooky October tradition into something that makes a real difference in people's lives.

❤️ 27,451 pounds collected. ❤️ $12,150 donated. ❤️ Countless lives helped.

10/08/2026

The Emmons Island Haunted Trail is THIS SATURDAY, October 10 from 6:30 - 10 pm! Admission per person is $20 OR 12 non-perishable food items (must be non-expired).

The event is one of the biggest fundraisers of the year for the Champlain Islands Food Shelf, typically generating an overflowing wagonload of food to stock our shelves and a generous monetary donation to help with our mission of alleviating food insecurity.

In addition to supporting a great cause, it is a spook-tacularly fun and festive event! Hope to see you there!

🌲👻 Welcome to Vermont's Darkest Secret... 👻🌲
For one chilling Saturday night each October, the quiet woods of Grand Isle awaken.

🎃 Hidden along 1 Island Meadows Lane, the Emmons Island Haunted Trail emerges from the darkness. What looks like an ordinary piece of private property by day transforms into a world of nightmares by night, where twisted paths, lurking creatures, eerie sounds, and heart-pounding surprises wait around every corner.

But beneath the screams, shadows, and terror lies a purpose far more powerful.

🎃 Fear That Feeds the Community Champlain Islands Food Shelf

The Emmons Island Haunted Trail is more than a haunted attraction. We are a volunteer-driven, non-profit food drive dedicated to helping local food shelves throughout Grand Isle County.

Every scream helps stock a shelf.

Admission is either $20 per person or 12 non-perishable food items per person, with all donations going directly toward helping local families in need. What began as a way to gather food for our neighbors has grown into one of the area's most unique Halloween traditions. (6:30pm - 10pm)

☠️ Enter If You Dare

Built entirely by volunteers using donated materials, the trail winds through a series of frightening scenes designed to test your courage.

👻👻Venture deeper into the darkness and you'll encounter:

🎃 Sinister characters lurking in the shadows
🎃 Sudden scares that strike when least expected
🎃 Detailed sets handcrafted by local volunteers
🎃 Roaring chainsaws and unsettling sounds
🎃 Bonfire rest areas where you can catch your breath... if your nerves allow it Wade Lawrence

👻 Something for the Little Monsters
Before darkness fully takes over, younger visitors can enjoy our free, non-scary children's walk. (4:30pm - 6pm)

Friendly characters, Halloween fun, and family memories replace the terror for a few short hours.

But when the children's event ends...

The monsters come out.

🌙 A Grand Isle Tradition

For more than two decades, brave souls have gathered each October to test their courage at the Emmons Island Haunted Trail.

Volunteers spend months building, decorating, wiring, planning, and creating an experience unlike anything else in the Champlain Islands. Everything you see, hear, and fear is made possible by community members who donate their time to help support local food shelves.

🦇 One night.

🦇 One trail.

🦇 One mission.

🎃 Come for the screams. Leave knowing you've helped feed a family.

The woods are waiting.

Will you enter? 👻🔥🌲

10/06/2026

The Champlain Islands Food Shelf has been very busy during our weekly food distribution days, serving 60+ households each week. This September, we reached 129 different households representing a total of 301 individuals.

Behind the scenes, there has also been much underway. We are excited to share that we are now community partners with Feeding Champlain Valley! This partnership offers support for our efforts surrounding improving food access through investments such as equipment and infrastructure improvements and transportation and distribution support. The new collaboration with the Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity (CVOEO)/Feeding Champlain Valley is featured in the Summer 2026 Full Plates report, viewable here: https://www.feedingchamplainvalley.org/publications/

10/04/2026

REMINDER: The CROP Hunger Walk is today from 1-3 pm taking off from the South Hero Congregational Church. Hope to see you there!

If we work together, we can end world hunger. That's why we're participating in the CROP Hunger Walk to support CWS and help families who are struggling with hunger. Please join us with your steps and your donations. Together we will provide more meals for the growing number of people in our communi...

10/02/2026

The Champlain Islands Food Shelf is in need of reusable bags and egg cartons!

Donations can be dropped off at the Food Shelf (St. Joseph's Church: 185 Route 2 in Grand Isle) on Tuesdays from 9:30-11:30 am or Wednesdays 1-5:30 pm.

Thank you for your help keeping us well supplied to keep sharing food with our Islands neighbors!

09/23/2026

The Champlain Islands CROP Hunger Walk takes place next Sunday, October 3. Join our team to walk and/or make a monetary contribution online.

1/4 of funds raised benefit the Champlain Islands Food Shelf. The remaining funds support disaster relief and long-term efforts for people throughout the world to supply clean water and produce healthy food.

To learn more, visit:

If we work together, we can end world hunger. That's why we're participating in the CROP Hunger Walk to support CWS and help families who are struggling with hunger. Please join us with your steps and your donations. Together we will provide more meals for the growing number of people in our communi...

09/16/2026

Join Keeler's Bay Variety - KBV in South Hero this Saturday from 11 am - 1 pm for their Customer Appreciation Day in memory of Mark Horne. In addition to offering free treats to celebrate 52 years in business, they are collecting food and cash donations for the Champlain Islands Food Shelf (CIFS).

Keeler's Bay Variety is a wonderful partner to the CIFS throughout the year and we are grateful for their ongoing support!

08/28/2026

REMINDER: The Champlain Islands Food Shelf fundraiser at the Hero Islands Tiki Bar is TONIGHT from 5-8 pm. Hope to see you there!