Travel Awaits at Party for The Pantry!

Don't miss your chance to bid on a once-in-a-lifetime adventure while supporting our community!

Hello Neighbor, Have you ever dreamed of a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Greece or Africa, or Ireland or Paris? Well, now you may be able to make that dream a reality while benefiting our community!  The Franklin Food Pantry is partnering with AmFund Foundation to offer high-end travel packages by silent auction at Party for The Pantry on Saturday, March 29, 2025, at 7 p.m. at The Black Box! There will be eight trips available for bid—Paris, Florence, Greece, Sedona, Ireland, Portugal, Scotland, and Africa! Visit Our Website to Learn More! These extraordinary trips come with incredible perks:  Trips are valid for three years with no blackout dates  Most packages include round trip airfare for two (from any major international airport in the United States)  4- and 5-Star Accommodations  Dedicated AmFund travel specialist  Options to upgrade, extend, and add additional travelers are available  More details about Party for The Pantry and this amazing auction are on our website. Not able to attend Patry for the Pantry but still want to take part in the trips auction? No worries! Simply contact Julie Manninen from AmFund at Julie@amfund.org and she will give you all the details!    Sincerely,   Marsha Tait  Development Director, Franklin Food Pantry Franklin Food Pantry | PO Box 116 | Franklin, MA 02038 US

What's happening in Franklin, MA: Wednesday, March 12, 2025 ???

Wednesday, March 12

* "Look Up" Gallery (Franklin Public Library during open hours)

* Rockland Trust Branches close at 3 PM

1pm Writer's Group (Franklin Senior Center)

7pm Joint Budget Subcommittee FY26 Budget Update Listening Session (Franklin high School)

7pm Tour the Franklin Food Pantry (sign up in advance) (Franklin Food Pantry)

For additional details on Senior Center & Library events ->    

https://www.franklinma.gov/calendar.aspx?CID=37,24&showPastEvents=false

**  Town Meetings today   **

Historical Commission Meeting

Wednesday, March 12th Time: 6:00 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_03122025-1625

Joint Budget Subcommittee Meeting

Wednesday, March 12th Time: 7:00 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/Joint-Budget-Subcommittee-6/?#_03122025-1620

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Why are there multiple calendars?

What's happening today in Franklin? 

Respectfully, the Library and Senior Center calendars are too full of events to include all their events so we tend to focus on the major events. Town and School meetings are also kept separate. Links for all the calendars are shared here:

Find the full Community event calendar  https://bit.ly/FranklinCommunityCalendar

If you have an event to add to the calendar, you can use the form to submit it for publication:  https://bit.ly/Submit2Calendar

The Library calendar of events ->    calendar link

The Senior Center calendar of events ->   https://www.franklinma.gov/calendar.aspx?CID=37&showPastEvents=false

The Town meeting calendar is found  https://www.franklinma.gov/Calendar.aspx
The School district calendar is found  https://franklinpublicschooldistrictma.sites.thrillshare.com/o/fpsd/page/school-calendars

Have you taken a tour of the Franklin Food Pantry? They are available monthly

Wondering what we do at The Pantry and how we do it? 

Have you taken a tour of the
Franklin Food Pantry? They are available monthly

You're invited to come check us out! Sign up for a Pantry tour and see how we are making a difference in our community - and how you can get involved! 

Tours are booking through May. 

Visit our website to secure your spot!  ->   https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0f4baaa622a4f4c43-pantry#/

Shared from -> https://www.instagram.com/p/DG1BQs1RTUN/

You can make an empty bowl! Register for the Open Studio Event March 20

Register for the Open Studio Event March 20

Calling all creatives! Join the @fhs_emptybowls at the high school on Thursday, March 20, 2025, from 5:30 to 7 PM in room 138 (enter by gym) for an Open Studio Event! 

Kids (age 7+), adults, and families will create bowls for the 10th Annual Empty Bowls Dinner on May 22, 2025. 

Don't forget: kids under 12 need an adult sidekick, and all supplies are provided. This event is free, but please consider bringing a donation for The Pantry! 

Register early as we anticipate this event to fill up! Should your plans change after registration, please cancel to allow others to attend! 

Registration link ->  https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C094AAAA72AA7F9C25-54867333-empty?#/

Shared from -> https://www.instagram.com/p/DGyxyhBRGhg/

Did you get your tickets to the Party for The Pantry - March 29

Get ready to rock for a great cause! 

Tickets are on sale for Party for The Pantry, featuring live performances by local favorites JP Royer, Matt Zajac, & The Pub Kings.

Did you get your tickets to the Party for The Pantry ???

Join us Saturday, March 29, 2025, at 7 PM at THE BLACK BOX for appetizers, silent auction, raffle prizes, and more!

Tickets are available on https://www.franklinfoodpantry.org/happenings/events/party/. $50 each and include one drink coupon.

All proceeds benefit The Pantry. Please note, this is a 21+ event. 

This event sold out last year so don’t delay in purchasing your tickets!

Laura shares insights from The Pantry Strategic Plan with us (audio)

FM #1386 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 1386 in the series. 

This session of the radio show shares my conversation with Laura Doherty, Franklin Food Pantry Associate Director. We had our conversation at the Franklin Food Pantry at Edwin’s. 

The Pantry Strategic Plan

Laura provides a brief story on her road to The Pantry then we get to talk about The Pantry Strategic Plan. It was funded by a grant from the MetroWest Health Foundation specifically for use in building capacity. The Pantry developed the strategic plan with involvement of multiple stakeholders groups and is now able to bring the plan to life.

The recent holiday meal distribution is one example of how the strategic plan led to the enhancements that resulted in almost 1,000 meals distributed during Nov & Dec 2024.

Disclosure: during the conversation you will hear that I was previously on the Food Pantry Board. I am currently volunteering on a couple of committees to help the Food Pantry mission. 

The recording runs about 39 minutes, so let’s listen to my conversation with Laura

Audio link -> https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-1386-franklin-food-pantry-strategic-plan-02-06-25/

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Franklin Food Pantry strategic plan -> 

https://www.franklinfoodpantry.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Strategic-Plan-2024-to-2027.pdf 

Food Pantry current needs page -> https://www.franklinfoodpantry.org/get-involved/pantry-needs/ 

Amazon wish lists -> https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/2SIL7UR08ZZUC?ref_=wl_share 

Sign up for a public tour of the Pantry -> https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0f4baaa622a4f4c43-pantry#/ 

The Franklin Food Pantry is here for you. If you need us, we are here with not only food, but useful programs and resources for individuals, seniors and families struggling with food insecurity. If you can support us, we thank you - visit www.franklinfoodpantry.org  to explore volunteering, donating funds, donating food, or supporting our Capital Campaign to keep the lights on and the programs, from food elves to weekend backpack stuffing. It truly takes a village to keep our food pantry running and supporting the increasing demand, supporting our Franklin neighbors.

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We are now producing this in collaboration with Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm). 

This podcast is my public service effort for Franklin but we can't do it alone. We can always use your help.

 

How can you help?

• If you can use the information that you find here, please tell your friends and neighbors

• If you don't like something here, please let me know

• And if you have interest in reporting on meetings or events, please reach out. We’ll share and show you what and how we do what we do

Through this feedback loop we can continue to make improvements. I thank you for listening.

 

For additional information, please visit www.franklin.news or www.Franklinmatters.org/ 

If you have questions or comments you can reach me directly at shersteve @ gmail dot com

The music for the intro and exit was provided by Michael Clark and the group "East of Shirley". The piece is titled "Ernesto, manana"  c. Michael Clark & Tintype Tunes, 2008 and used with their permission.

I hope you enjoy!

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You can also subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters audio on iTunes or your favorite podcast app; search in "podcasts" for "Franklin Matters"

Franklin Food Pantry closed during Feb 17 - Feb 24, 2025

Since January 2, 2025, The Pantry has welcomed over 1,500 visits!

Franklin Food Pantry closed during Feb 17 - Feb 24, 2025

We are incredibly grateful to our dedicated volunteers and everyone who has supported our mission to provide food assistance to our community. Next week, we’re taking time to take inventory, restock, and deep clean The Pantry.

We will be closed beginning Monday, February 17, 2025, and will reopen for in-person shopping on Tuesday, February 25, 2025, at 9 AM.

We have communicated this information to all clients through email, text messages, flyers, and our outgoing phone message. Additional food resources are also listed on our website.

Please note that a limited number of staff and volunteers will be in the building during this time.

Thank you!

Shared from -> https://www.facebook.com/share/p/19u4tDf7zE/

Franklin Food Pantry and Weymouth Food Pantry’s "SOUPer Bowl" Results in 4,967 Cans of Donated Soup

The Franklin Food Pantry and the Weymouth Food Pantry participated in a friendly "SOUPer Bowl" competition, collecting nearly 5,000 cans of soup to help fight food insecurity in their communities.  From January 9 to February 9, 2025, residents, local businesses, and even state senators rallied behind their local pantries, resulting in a combined total of 4,967 cans of soup. The final tally was Franklin 2,586 cans, Weymouth 2,381 cans.

“The SOUPer Bowl's success exceeded our expectations, and we are incredibly grateful to everyone in Franklin and Weymouth who came together to support their local pantry. Thanks to their generosity, we collected nearly 5,000 cans of soup but also raised awareness and brought communities together to take action against hunger," said Tina Powderly, Executive Director of the Franklin Food Pantry. "The winter months can be especially tough for donations, and this fun, football-themed competition filled shelves at our pantries and sparked important conversations about individuals and families experiencing food insecurity in our communities."

Franklin resident Wesley Hallion (age 6)

The Greater Boston Food Bank reports that nearly 2 million adults in Massachusetts are food insecure, and 1 in 3 households with children in the state experienced child-level food insecurity in 2023. This means a child went hungry, skipped a meal, or didn't eat for an entire day due to lack of resources.

“The way our communities rallied was so heartening,” said Pam Denholm, Executive Director of the Weymouth Food Pantry. “Weymouth may have been ‘edged out’ of a win, but we are better positioned to support neighbors coming to us for help as winter endures and that still feels like winning to us.”

While the SOUPer Bowl competition has concluded, the fight against food insecurity continues.  

Individuals and groups can still make a difference by:

• Donating food
• Donating funds
• Organizing a food drive
• Volunteering at a local food pantry

If you or someone you know is experiencing food insecurity, local food pantries are available to help.  

• For assistance in Franklin, please visit www.franklinfoodpantry.org. 
• For Weymouth residents, visit www.weymouthfoodpantry.org.  
• You can also find additional resources through the Greater Boston Food Bank’s Partner Agency Locator at www.gbfb.org/need-food.

About the Franklin Food Pantry, Inc.

The Franklin Food Pantry, Inc. offers supplemental food assistance, household necessities, and resource referrals to more than 1,800 individuals per year. The Pantry relies on donations and grants to purchase items and pay for daily operations, and partnerships with The Greater Boston Food Bank, Spoonfuls, and local grocery stores to achieve greater buying power and lower costs. Programs include In-person Shopping, Curbside Pick-up, Emergency Food Bags, Mobile Pantries, Home Delivery, Kids’ Snack Bags, Weekend Backpacks, Holiday Meals, and the SNAP match at Franklin Farmers Market. 

The Pantry is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization in good standing in Massachusetts, recognized by Charity Navigator as a Four-Star Charity, and awarded GuideStar’s Platinum Transparency ranking. The Pantry is located at 341 W Central St. in Franklin, MA on Route 140. Please visit www.franklinfoodpantry.org for more information.

About the Weymouth Food Pantry

The Weymouth Food Pantry is an independent 501(c)(3) charity providing free groceries to over 4,000 neighbors in Weymouth at any given time. The Weymouth Food Pantry serves between 100 and 250 families per service day, 600 and 800 families each month, and distributes about 840,000 pounds of food per year. The Weymouth Food Pantry offers food assistance and education through a variety of food access, food equity, and health focused programs, including pop-up pantries, grocery delivery to homebound elders and people with disabilities, a dollar-match at the farmers’ market, weekend food bags for students in school, an open access community garden, and “made with love” meals freshly prepared and frozen for easy reheating by neighbors for whom meal prep is a barrier to food security. 

The Weymouth Food Pantry was founded in 1987 by a small group of concerned citizens. Its executive office is located at 40E Reservoir Park Drive, Rockland, MA

02370. For more information, please visit www.weymouthfoodpantry.org, email

info@weymouthfoodpantry.org, or call 781-331-7682.

Save the date for Empty Bowls Dinner - May 22

Save the date for Empty Bowls Dinner - May 22

Mark your calendars! The 10th Annual Empty Bowls Dinner and Fundraiser will take place on Thursday, May 22, 2025, at 6 PM at Franklin Public High School! 

Join us for a simple supper of soup and bread, bid on raffle items including pottery designed and created by Empty Bowls club members— all to raise funds for The Pantry and bring awareness that “somewhere, someone’s bowl is empty.” 

Tickets go on sale April 1! 

Interested in sponsoring the event? Please email Jen Johnson, Development Associate, at jjohnson@franklinfoodpantry.org.

Shared from -> https://www.instagram.com/p/DF_EW5PRFDA/

Souper Bowl results are in with Franklin on top, thanks to Weymouth for their sportmanship & passion

The SOUPer Bowl results are in - and Franklin has come out on top!

Souper Bowl results are in with Franklin on top

Franklin Food Pantry 2,586/ Weymouth Food Pantry 2,381

A difference of 205 cans! But the amazing news is that EVERYONE WINS! Together, our communities gathered nearly 5,000 cans of soup to help individuals and families experiencing food insecurity.

A giant thank you to the Weymouth Food Pantry for their incredible sportsmanship, sense of humor, and passion for fighting food insecurity.

This year's SOUPer Bowl has come to an end, but hunger has not. We challenge everyone who can support their local food pantry to please do so. Consider organizing a food drive, donating money, or volunteering your time or talents.

When we tackle hunger, we all win!

Shared from -> https://www.facebook.com/share/p/19xPyjRqzJ/