It's never just "another day"

#GivingTuesday Inspiration  from individuals supported by HMEA Now, that you know what #GivingTuesday is all about,  it's time to start thinking about what you would like to  give on Tuesday, December 2nd, 2014! We recently asked some folks from our Hopedale Employment Program what "giving" means to them.  Their feedback was so insightful; we decided to share their responses with you as inspiration for your #GivingTuesday considerations. To view the full slideshow of #GivingTuesday inspiration photos, please click here.  What does "giving" mean to you? Their answers:  Give Back Give Time Give Skills Give Talent Give a Smile  Give Support Give Guidance Give Friendship Give a Helpful Hand Give Community Service If you find a way for your family, your community, your company or your organization to come together to give something more, feel free to share your story with us!  Post your story on our  Facebook page or email us at: hmeainc@gmail.com. In case you missed last week's email introducing #GivingTuesday, here is a quick explanation about this special. Learn more by visiting: www.hmea.org/givingtuesday. There's Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and now #Giving Tuesday - a global day of giving on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving dedicated to giving back. On Tuesday, December 2, 2014, charities, families, businesses, community centers, and students around the world will come together for one common purpose: to celebrate generosity and to give. If you spend on Black Friday or Cyber Monday, please consider kicking off your holiday giving season with an end-of-year charitable gift on #GivingTuesday. Thank you!

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Consider #GivingTuesday so the Food Pantry can provide every day!

Thanksgiving and the other end of year holidays bring many folks around a dinner table to enjoy a good meal with the family and friends. While the awareness of hunger is heightened during this time of year, the reality is such that hunger is a year round problem.

The Franklin Food Pantry looks for ways to enable a sustaining volume of donations so that those they serve can be provided for throughout the year.

For #givingTuesday, there are several ways you can help the Food Pantry.

You can help in the following ‘traditional’ ways

• Donate food or non-food items. Why non-food items? For those on WIC or SNAP benefits, purchases of personal health care products are restricted. A person needs those just as much as healthy food to live a good life. Review the listing of non-food items for the Healthy Futures shelf.

• Donate money through the Food Pantry website with a one time payment, or set up a recurring payment. The website allows for payments from bank accounts or credit cards.

For the holiday season you might consider

• The Franklin Food Elves will be collecting for the Food Pantry in their annual "12 Days of Giving" campaign.  "More than 60 Food Elves will be collecting goods in neighborhoods around Franklin. If you don't have an Elf in your neighborhood, you can still participate in the food drive! Look for the red collection bins at participating Franklin Downtown Partnership member businesses. For additional information, check here.

• Buying a ticket or two, or more for “A Christmas Carol, Times Two!” A dramatic reading of the classic story  Charles Dickens with musical accompaniment. Thursday, Dec 12th at the Franklin United Methodist Church. Tickets $10 per person. Tickets are on sale and can be purchased in advance through BrownPaperTickets.com/, either on-line or by calling their 24/7 toll-free number 1-800-838-3006  For additional details on this performance check here.

You can also help by

• Purchasing a “Franklin Pride” bead or necklace or bracelet. These items are carefully crafted in the Franklin blue and buff colors and make great gifts throughout the year. Birthdays, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day to mention just a few. A percent of the purchase price comes to the Food Pantry thanks to the collaboration with Beads for a Cause

• Consider “Sponsoring a Shelf”. Contact Erin Lynch, Development Director to discuss how this would work for your budget. She can provide examples of items (peanut butter or toilet paper for example) that the Food Pantry uses on a regular basis. Your donation could provide the funds to keep a shelf stocked with that item for a set period of time. Your name (business or family) would be placed on the shelf to help provide recognition for your contribution.

• Last but not least, you can find the Franklin Food Pantry on Facebook. “Like” the page and enable notifications to your timeline as the Food Pantry makes updates so you will always be “in the know”. Share items you find are worthy with your friends and neighbors so the Food Pantry can reach all of the Franklin user on Facebook!

• If you have a Twitter account, you can also find and follow the Food Pantry

• If you use LinkedIn, you can find updates from the Food Pantry

When you sit for your next meal, please give thanks for what you have. Please consider giving when you can to help the Food Pantry provide for others in Franklin throughout the year.


This was first posted on the Franklin Food Pantry website
http://www.franklinfoodpantry.org




Note: I am privileged to serve as Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Franklin Food Pantry

Thank You

This website, newsletter, and Facebook page have seen six years of learning and sharing.

There were times of frustration

and times of joy!

There were times I thought I would quit.
More often than not, there were (and still are) times that keep me going!


Thank you for reading,

for subscribing,
for commenting,
for sending an encouraging email,
for sending along news and events to post,
for sharing this site with your friends and neighbors.

Franklin has over 30,000 people of which about 20,000 are registered to vote and fewer actually show up to do so.

For those who care, you are the reason this site exists.

Thank you!

Thank you

As an alternative to watching a football game this evening,

consider the special from Story Corps on PBS

As an alternative to Black Friday, and cyber Monday there is #givingTuesday.

Consider making a donation either one-time or recurring to the Franklin Food Pantry or your most important charity!

Note: this will be the only post today.
Spend time with your family and friends.
Share a story or two.
Listen to a story or two.


Thank you!
Steve Sherlock

Giving Tuesday

Will you be shopping on Black Friday?

Will you be shopping on Cyber Monday?

How about giving back to others on Giving Tuesday!

We have a day for giving thanks. We have two for getting deals. This year help create #GivingTuesday™, the giving season’s opening day. 

On Tuesday November 27, 2012 charities, families, businesses and individuals are coming together to transform the way people think about, talk about and participate in the giving season. 

It’s a simple idea. Find a way for your family, your community, your company or your organization to join in acts of giving. Tell everyone you can about what you are doing and why it matters. Join a national celebration of our great tradition of generosity. 

And together we’ll create ways to give more, give better and give smarter.

Giving Tuesday can take many forms. What are you comfortable doing? What is reasonable for you?

On this Thanksgiving, perhaps spend a moment or two to plan for giving Tuesday

More information on #givingtuesday can be found on the webpage here  http://givingtuesday.org/