Franklin Food Pantry Announces Summer Initiatives and Mobilizes for a Healthy Season

The Franklin Food Pantry (FFP) has announced new initiatives to expand its services to existing and new clients. Firstly, The Food Pantry is in a position to test drive the mobile food pantry program this year. Beginning this month the FFP truck will become a mobile pantry, providing assistance to neighbors in the community who are unable to visit The Food Pantry’s downtown location due to obstacles such as transportation, childcare and medical reasons. Eligible members of the community will have the opportunity to pick up staples such as canned vegetables, fruits, beans, and soups; peanut butter, tuna fish, pasta, cereal, and beverages. Some non-food items may be offered as well including toiletries, household cleaning supplies and occasional pet products. Meat, dairy, fresh fruits, vegetables, breads and bakery items will be on the truck whenever available.

Franklin Food Pantry

The FFP Mobile Pantry will visit three locations as part of its pilot program on the following schedule:

• Franklin Housing Authority, 1000 Central Park Terrace on the 2nd Monday of every month from 2:30-3:30 p.m. serving residents of the Franklin Housing Authority at Central Park Terrace, North Park, East Park, or West Park Streets. 
• Franklin Housing Authority, 45 Winter Street on the 3rd Monday of every month from 2:30-3:30 p.m. serving residents 45 Winter Street; and 
• Franklin Senior Center, 10 Daniel McCahill Street on the 4th Monday of every month from 2:30-3:30 p.m. serving those affiliated with the Franklin Senior Center. 

Linda Sottile, Director of Operations for Franklin Food Pantry stated, “We expect to serve
an additional 40+ households in the next six months and hope to have additional locations on the
schedule by the end of the year.”

The Pantry also welcomes back the Healthy Futures Fresh Produce Market this summer. Running June

Healthy Futures Franklin

through October, the market will be open every Tuesday from 4:00-5:00pm. Clients can visit the downtown Franklin Food Pantry location at 43 West Central Street to pick up quality fruits and vegetables from our local farms and community garden partners. And, every 2nd Tuesday of the month, the Healthy Futures Market will present cooking demonstrations and food samplings from culinary experts of Share Our Strength’s Cooking Matters® program.

Cooking Matters is a series of educational workshops offered in a fun, casual setting. The Cooking Matters staff will prepare simple, delicious dishes using seasonal produce and on-hand pantry staples. Guests will receive nutritional tips and recipe cards to help make these farm to table meals at home. The summer workshops are made possible by a grant from the MetroWest Health Foundation and fresh produce received from Akin Bak Farm, Hoffmann Farm, Tri-County Regional Vocational Technical High School community gardens and Franklin Community Gardens.

Michelle Camiel, Eastern Massachusetts Manager for Share Our Strength’s Cooking Matters commented, “Cooking Matters is thrilled to be partnering with local farms, New England Chapel and the Food Pantry. It’s wonderful to collaborate with partners who are just as committed to bringing food skills education to families who need it as we are. We are looking forward to the Tuesday workshops at the pantry this summer!” Erin Lynch, Director of Development for Franklin Food Pantry shared, “The Cooking Matters educational classes are presented in a casual, cooperative and fun setting and have been very successful here. We have seen waiting lists of twenty or more families for these classes so we are excited to offer a summer series under the tent to accommodate larger numbers.”

Increased availability of nutritious food comes at a critical time for those who are reliant on The Food Pantry. For many families, when school closes for the summer, food insecurity rises. While at school, children in need receive lunch daily through state funded programs, but when the bell rings for the summer months, a steady diet can become compromised. Added Lynch, “It is important to serve our clients consistently throughout the year. The Greater Boston Food Bank recognizes the need for creative solutions to these challenges, and recently awarded our pantry a $2,500 grant for capacity building initiatives. The Mobile Pantry and Healthy Futures programs engage a collaboration of resources to provide additional reach to our community. Thank you to our sponsors, partner organizations, and our incredible core of volunteers who make these programs happen. “

To this end, volunteers are still needed for a variety of duties for both programs. Adults and students are welcome for several assignments. Some of the jobs include adult licensed drivers, loading and unloading the truck, set-up, inventory, assisting clients with shopping, and more. To get involved, please contact our Volunteer Coordinators at volunteers@franklinfoodpantry.org.

About Healthy Futures Franklin 

Mass in Motion

Healthy Futures Franklin is part of Mass in Motion (MIM). MIM is a statewide movement that promotes opportunities for healthy eating and active living in the places people live, learn, work and play. Marissa Garofano, Director of Community Wellness and the Healthy Futures Initiative for The Y, commented: “The Healthy Futures Initiative is committed to reduce inactivity and poor nutrition in the fifteen communities the Hockomock Area YMCA serves through programs, projects, and policies. The Healthy Futures Fresh Produce Market at The Pantry is an extension of our efforts to provide nutritional advocacy and access to fresh fruits and produce.” About Cooking Matters® Cooking Matters® is key to Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign, which connects kids in need with nutritious food and teaches their families how to cook healthy, affordable meals. Learn more at NoKidHungry.org. For nutritious recipes and more information about Cooking Matters®, please check out the website at ma.cookingmatters.org.

About The Franklin Food Pantry
Established in 1987, the mission of the Franklin Food Pantry is to provide immediate hunger relief and healthy sustainable solutions, by empowering the community through resources, education and collaboration. It is part of the Greater Boston Food Bank network and depends entirely on support and donations from volunteers, corporate partners and the community at large. The Franklin Food Pantry is located at 43 West Central Street, Route 140 and can accept donations during business hours, Tuesday - Friday, 9am -1pm. Non-perishables may also be dropped off after hours in the bin by the front door, or monetary donations may be mailed to Franklin Food Pantry, PO Box 116, Franklin MA 02038. For more information, visit franklinfoodpantry.org, like the pantry’s page on Facebook, or call 508-528-3115. The Franklin Food Pantry is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization FEIN # 04-3272663.

Volunteers Needed for Mobile Pantry and Healthy Futures Market

The Franklin Food Pantry will introduce the Mobile Pantry beginning Monday June 9th!!  They will need volunteers to help out on Mondays for this new program.  To start, the Mobile Pantry will be held on the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Monday of each month.   

Franklin Food Pantry truck becomes the "mobile pantry"

Volunteers are needed for the following shifts for each week:

12:00  -  Meet at Pantry to help load the truck  (3-4 volunteers-High School students okay)

1:00 - Driver needed to drive the truck to the location (Senior Center, Central Park Terrace or Winter Street depending on the week). Volunteer must have a valid license and current insurance.

1:30  -  Unload truck at location (3-4 volunteers-High School students okay)

2:30-3:30  -  Clients visit the Market.  Volunteers will be needed to help Clients, do intake forms for new clients, etc.  (3-4 volunteers - students NOT okay)

3:30 - Driver needed to drive the truck back to Pantry 

3:30-5:00  -  Reload truck and then help unload it back at the Pantry.  (3-4 volunteers - High School students okay)

*Please note that some of these tasks may require heavy lifting and the basement stairs.

Eventually the process will change a little bit as we are having the Clients fill out shopping lists for each month, so we will be filling individual boxes prior to each Monday visit and the Clients will then only have to shop for specialty items such as bread, produce, and any other items we bring each week. 

Healthy Futures

The Healthy Future Market is also beginning next week, Tuesday June 10th!   Every Tuesday through October we will have the Healthy Future Market at the Pantry. The schedule for this program is as follows:

12:00 - Bring Pantry truck to Akin Bak and Hoffmann Farms to pick up that week's CSA shares.  May involve some heavy lifting.  (2 volunteers - one will need to drive the truck and must have a valid drivers license and current insurance)

1:00  -  Setup the Market (carry tables and chairs from basement, unload product from the truck, weigh and setup the produce for the Market.  (4 volunteers - High School students okay)

3:00  -  Take inventory of stock, set limits for each item, place signage, etc.  (2 volunteers - High School students okay)

4:00-5:00  -  Market takes place.  Assist Clients with their shopping, weigh out the bags, help with demos, tastings, etc.  2nd week of each month there will be a chef from Cooking Matters running a workshop too.  (3-4 volunteers - students NOT okay)

5:00  -  Break down Market, bring produce inside and put in appropriate space (shelves, fridge).  Bring all tables, chairs, etc. back into basement.  (3-4 volunteers - High School Students okay).
 *Please note that some of these task involve some heavy lifting and the basement stairs.

We will have a calendar set up at the Pantry for each week and each shift so if you are interested in helping out on a specific day we can keep track of it that way and we will also send out reminders prior to your shift. Robin Cowper will be coordinating the Market schedule and will be in touch with you with further information.

As you can see we need quite a few people to make these both successes and we appreciate any help you can provide. 

Thank you very much!

Lisa Buccella and Maria Weiss

Volunteer Coordinators

Franklin Food Pantry

43 West Central Street

PO Box 116

Franklin, MA 02038

508-528-3115, press 5 for volunteer line voicemail

www.franklinfoodpantry.org

All Night Party - A labor of love

While the senior class and their families were participating in the graduation ceremony in the Franklin Field House, hundreds of volunteers were busy transforming the high school corridor to another world.

What can you do with a high school corridor? It is wide, concrete, has a tiled floor and not very exciting to look at. Well you'd be surprised by what can be done with a little creativity, lots of volunteers and have it all abide by the fire code for safety.

You see safety is one of the prime motivators behind the All Night Party anyway. What would high school seniors do on graduation night but go and party! With offsite parties, there would likely be alcoholic beverages. With such beverages, there would be an inevitable tragedy.

The All Night Party avoids all that. It magically transforms the high school corridor to a fun place for a party without alcoholic beverages and volunteer adult chaperones. The graduates can have a good time and their parents and families can rest assured for one night.

I was fortunate to be able to get behind the scenes and take these photos as the corridor was transformed. There was still work to be done after the graduation ceremony finished in the field house. There would be other exercise activities set up.

So let's walk along the corridor as it is being transformed...

From the field house, up the stairs to New York City at night with the stars out.

up the stairs to NYC

The stars are all the graduates!

FHS graduate photo as a youngster

Through the doorway, to Hollywood. Yes, more stars.

more stars in Hollywood

A hand painted mural.

hand painted mural of a theater

Hand crafted replicas of the Oscars! (Yes, Franklin has talent!)

one of the two Oscars with their creators

From Hollywood, we step into Mardi Gras!

Mardi Gras display

and yes, Franklin does love a party!

FHS loves Mardi Gras

Then we get into the high school Marathon

the memory wall

I'd like to have seen the memory wall at the end of the night

the Marathon Team poses

the marathon finish leads to Hogwarts

We catch our breathe by stepping into Hogwarts

did you bring your broom? it is quidditch time!

watch out for the death eaters

From the darkness of Hogwarts, we jump into the sunshine of Panther Beach

Panther Beach

pose with a local beach drifter

get some good advice

From the beach, we take a ride to the Derby

another hand painted mural

take a ride around Franklin Downs

Franklin Downs

The horse figure first made its appearance at the All Night Party in 2004. My oldest daughter graduated that year. I wonder if she'll remember. The word has it that is has been more of a chameleon over the year than a horse, also showing up as a mule and a dinosaur at different times as well as changing color.

pose with the roses

From the Derby, we join the casino cruise.

card game tables at the ready

card game tables at the ready on both sides

be careful how you play

To contribute to or get involved in the All Night Party for next year visit their website for contact information

http://www.fhsallnightparty.com/

The full set of photos from the preparation for the All Night Party can be found on Flickr
https://www.flickr.com/photos/steve_sherlock/sets/72157645098126833

Volunteers needed - Help Stamp Out Hunger

Thank you! We do have enough volunteers for Saturday. If you want to sign up to help for a future event, please do so by visiting the sign up form

-------


Once again, the Franklin postal carriers will be participating in the "Stamp Out Hunger" food drive. Residents are notified by their carriers about this event and the carriers pick it up on Saturday, May 11th. The donations will be delivered by the carriers to the Food Pantry that day. Then, the fun begins!

Franklin Food Pantry

We will need several volunteers on Saturday, May 11th between the hours of 2:00pm - 6:00pm. This would be a minimum of a 2-hour commitment. Some of the responsibilities include unloading postal trucks as they arrive, weighing the items, checking expiration dates, sorting, carrying items to the pantry and stocking the appropriate shelves.

Available shifts:
2-6
3-5
4-6

Stamp Out Hunger

Appropriate footwear is mandatory (no flip-flops!). Because the mail trucks come in randomly, there may be some down time. We will assign specific tasks so respond as soon as possible to secure your spot. You will receive an email back from us to confirm your shift.

Please let us know by send an email to volunteers@franklinfoodpantry.org

"a wonderful community service"

The Milford Daily News covers the Neighbor Brigade here in Franklin.

The goal is to get every town in Massachusetts to join," said Gagnon, who started recruiting for Franklin’s chapter early last summer. 

As chapter leader, Gagnon’s job is to schedule volunteers when new requests roll in. Depending on the circumstances, their work takes on many forms, from shopping for groceries to cleaning a home to preparing dinner. 

For instance, Gagnon has volunteers aiding a 37-year-old mother who’s preparing to undergo cancer treatment. They will help the woman’s family for two months while she recovers. 

"We need everything covered so the family can go on in a somewhat normal way," Gagnon said. "We are going to do weekly house cleaning and whatever else comes about. I have volunteers set up to go in there each Tuesday for two to three hours.

Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/x179153788/Franklin-Neighbor-Brigade-provides-help-for-any-task#ixzz2RqPKASVh


Related posts:
Yes, there is a Neighbor Brigade in Franklin
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2013/04/yes-there-is-neighbor-brigade-in.html

The Neighbor Brigade was highlighted in the recent Schools update
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2013/04/franklin-public-schools-updates.html

Visit the Neighbor Brigade website http://www.neighborbrigade.org/chapters/FranklinMA

Last minute call for volunteers, only 1/2 HR on Saturday

Hi Gardeners and Friends,

I know this is last minute, but the Garden is in need of a few volunteers for a quick task on Saturday Oct 27:

Grateful Farm of Franklin has generously donated a pallet of bagged cow manure so that we may amend our raised beds. There is enough for each bed.

We need strong bodies to offload the bags from the Farm's van, a human chain of sorts. 

Please respond to Amy at amyacevedo1@verizon.net if you are able to help.

1/2 hour, tops.

Noon at the Garden

Community service certifications will be available.

 A Huge Thank You in advance!!

~Amy from the Garden.

--

www.franklincommunitygardens.org

Visit us on Facebook!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Franklin-Community-Gardens/152040424825578

Follow us on Twitter!

http://twitter.com/#!/FRKLNCommGarden

In the News - Car, volunteers, scanner

Car rolls over in Franklin

by Staff reports

Franklin historical commission seeks volunteers

by GateHouse Media, Inc.

For those who need to follow the sirens !

Check out our new online police and fire scanner

by Staff reports

The Historical Museum Needs You!

We are looking for some people, maybe some retired or not, that are looking to volunteer a little time at the museum for a variety of jobs.

Example of jobs:
1. Do you like to paint?? We have a display case that needs some attention.

2. Have you ever used Past Perfect (computer program)? That is what we use at the museum to inventory our items and your assistance would be very much appreciated.

3. Sorting papers from the past and putting them in their proper locations.

4. Have any thoughts on displays or programs that you might want to see at the museum???? Let us know.

5. We are always looking for alternate members to the Commission. How about it!!

6. Do you enjoy people? Perhaps you would like to be a host/hostess at the museum.

No experience is needed, just a love for the Town of Franklin.

Call Deborah L. Pellegri, Town Clerk/Chairperson for the Historical Museum at
508-520-4900


Originally posted to the Town of Franklin website

In the News - Milford Trail, tornado cleanup

For those who like to ride their bikes

Milford trail work almost done

from The Milford Daily News News RSS by Brian Benson/Daily News staff

For those with some spare time this weekend

Volunteers needed for tornado cleanup this weekend

from The Milford Daily News News RSS by Staff reports

'simple, non-crucial maintenance that is great to have done"

Roughly 80 teenagers between the ages of 14 and 18 went to nine different places to paint, rake, mulch and pick up litter. 

The conference, which ran from Thursday until today, brought together 11 wards of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. 

Catherine Thacker, co-organizer and Franklin Stake Young Women's president, was one of 25 adults overseeing the "Forever Strong" conference. 

"We want to teach our youth to reach out into the community, to learn that they can make a difference," Thacker said.

Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/archive/x1498053383/Teens-from-church-group-help-spruce-up-Franklin#ixzz1QwJSpvMQ

Earth Day - April 16 - volunteers needed

VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED FOR

TOWN-WIDE CLEAN UP AND ENVIRONMENTAL EXHIBITS AT BEAVER POND

Franklin will celebrate Earth Day on Saturday, April 16^th with a roadside clean up, spring plantings, and new environmental activities for all ages with activities based at Beaver Pond. 

        Earth Day kicks off "rain or shine" at 9:00 a.m. when volunteers start a town-wide roadside clean up of litter and set out plants and flowers. After this winter's snowfall, many of the town's most scenic streets can be quickly restored to an attractive roadside with just a few hours of time. Please bring gloves for each person and rakes. 

All volunteers are asked to sign in at Beaver Pond between 9:00am-11:00am, so that the areas most in need of a spring clean up get attention. To nominate a town road which needs a cleanup, please call or email the DPW as soon as possible. 

This year, volunteers will be given a trash bags for collecting cans, glass bottles, trash and litter. Volunteers simply leave the bags along the roadside by 12:00 p.m., after which Franklin DPW trucks will pick up the bagged trash. 

Last year's clean up brought out about 200 volunteers and the trash picked up filled one 40 yard dumpster.  Over one ton of litter was collected. 

Community service certificates are issued to youths and adults who need them. Earth Day t-shirts are given to the first 300 volunteers and there will be free pizza and beverages starting at 12:00 p.m. for returning clean up crews. 

Volunteers are also needed to help pick up donated goods, help run events at Beaver Pond. 

Also on site will be Waste Management recycling demo, environmental booths, and demonstrations.  Dean Radio WGAO, will be on site to broadcast live from the event. 

Sponsoring groups and businesses this year so far include: Waste Management, Comprehensive Environmental, Inc., CDM, Malcolm-Pirnie, Garelick Farms, Aubuchon Hardware, State Forest Advisory Council, Metcalf Materials, Hillside Nurseries, Domino's Pizza, Bimbo Bakeries, Dunkin Donuts, Home Depot, Wal-Mart, Various boys and girls scouts, Hillside Nurseries, Franklin Garden Club, Franklin Citizen's Rail Trail Committee, Green at Dean College, Dean Community Outreach program, Coles Tavern, and Metacomet Land Trust.

For information on how you can get involved, visit the DPW webpage at:

http://www.town.franklin.ma.us/pages/FranklinMA_DPW/Earthday

This notice was also posted to the Franklin website
http://franklinma.virtualtownhall.net/Pages/FranklinMA_News/016E42E9-000F8513

To subscribe and receive your own copy of this notice, go to the Franklin website and sign up for "Recycling News"  http://franklinma.virtualtownhall.net/subscriber-news

Franklin, MA

Want to help with the Long Range Financial Planning?

The Long Range Financial Planning Committee is considering expansion of the Committee by two members. The Committee meets approximately 8-10 times per year and is tasked with looking at the 3-5 year financial picture of the Town. 


Anyone interested in being considered for the Committee may email a letter of interest to the Town Administrator at jnutting@franklin.ma.us or fax a copy to 508-520-4903. 


Letters of interest will be  accepted until August 30th. 

This was posted to the Franklin website here:
http://franklinma.virtualtownhall.net/Pages/FranklinMA_News/015DAF2B-000F8513




The committee is currently composed of three Town Council, and two each from the School Committee, Finance Committee and general public. By adding two more citizens, this should help broaden the representation for the citizens.


Current members


Town Council: Scott Mason, Shannon Zollo, Steve Whalen
School Committee: Susan Rohrbach, Roberta Trahan
Finance Committee: Jim Roche (Vice-Chair), Rebecca Cameron
Citizens: Doug Hardesty (Chair), Deb Bartlett


Franklin, MA

pay more taxes, voluntary? right!

The functions of these programs differ widely, but they all share one remarkable feature. The taxpayer dollars were not wrenched from the pockets of the Commonwealth’s residents. Instead, thousands of Bay Staters checked off boxes on their income tax returns opting to contribute to the funds. These people paid, in other words, what sounds like the ultimate oxymoron: voluntary taxes.

Though voluntary tax programs could never generate enough money to run a state, more people chip in than you might expect (more, that is, than none). And according to some enthusiasts, we could be doing more to capitalize on this surprising willingness to give. Voluntary taxes, these thinkers say, offer a politically palatable way to raise additional revenue and perhaps even to strengthen Americans’ sense of patriotism and citizenship. And in the current political and fiscal climate, lawmakers are frankly desperate for creative solutions.

and this from a study referenced by the article

The authors concluded that dislike of taxes may be not just a matter of reluctance to part with our money, or mistrust of the government: It may be largely about the lack of control over where exactly our money goes.

I think too little is paid to this particular aspect of control. Several of the comments on the Milford Daily News pages mentioned this lack of specifics as to where the money was to be used. Even though the authorization from the Town Council was for the $3 million to be divided with $1.8 M for the schools, $300,000 for the Town and $900,000 for road repair, the question on the ballot per state guidelines was phrased as:

Shall the Town of Franklin be allowed to assess an additional $3,000,000.00 in real estate and personal property taxes for the purpose of the operating budget for which monies from this assessment will be used for the fiscal year beginning July 1, two thousand and ten?

Indeed, the article does go on to say

... it seems that giving taxpayers some control over the funds is key. The University of Texas economists found that when subjects were permitted to earmark their donations, contributions more than doubled. 

Read the full article in the Boston Globe Ideas section here:
http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2010/06/27/voluntary_taxes/?page=1


Franklin, MA

Franklin, MA: Town committee openings

Franklin has a number of open committee positions. These positions are all volunteer and non-pay. Someone must care about Franklin and should know something about the area that the committee covers.

Board	Regular Member
Municipal Affordable Housing Trust Fund	1
Franklin Cultural Council	1
Franklin Disability Commission	2
Library Board of Directors	1
Public Land Use Committee	2
Recreation Advisory Board	1
Zoning Board of Appeals	1

The form to apply for one of these positions is available via the Town Clerk web page here:
http://franklinma.virtualtownhall.net/Pages/FranklinMA_BComm/request


Franklin, MA

"Unfortunately it's the nature of the society we live in"

Q: How did it feel to win the award?

A: I was kind of surprised when I got the phone call because I know they've had some volunteers for many years ... I was very pleased, surprised and honored.

Read the full article here:

Q&A with Charles River volunteer David Dobrzynski

from The Milford Daily News News RSS by Ashley Studley/Daily News correspondent 

Related posts:


http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2010/03/david-dobrzynski-of-franklin-recognized.html


http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2010/04/charles-river-watershed-cleanup-42410.html

Volunteers needed to judge Franklin students' work

Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:

Volunteers needed to judge Franklin students' work

via Wicked Local Franklin News RSS by Staff reports on 4/14/10

Franklin High School's Senior Project is looking for some community volunteers to judge the student presentations on May 26 and 27.

Over the next two months, students are working at internships outside of the school, and must complete 70 hours of interning by May 25. After the interning portion of the project is complete, the students will put together a presentation and portfolio of their work.

The presentations will take place Wednesday, May 26, and Thursday, May 27, in the Franklin High School Library between 7:35 a.m. and 2:05 p.m. Judges will include school administrators, faculty and community members. Each presentation ranges from 15-20 minutes, and there will be at least two presentations per hour. 

Judges can choose to stay for one hour or the entire day. Following each presentation is a question and answer portion. Coffee and donuts will be provided for judges. The judging rubric and more information can be found in the Senior Project Handbook on the high school's Web site.

If interested, email Sascha Werner D'Angelo at WernerS@franklin.k12.ma.us with the dates and times you are available, or call 508-528-5600 ext. 3053.

 

Things you can do from here:

• Subscribe to Wicked Local Franklin News RSS using Google Reader
• Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites

an update from the Franklin Food Pantry

Do you know a friend or family member who is struggling in this economy?  A recent USDA report shows that more than 200,000 households in Massachusetts lack consistent access to adequate amounts of nutritious food.  Here at the Franklin Food Pantry, we distributed over 45,000 lbs of food to more than 1,000 clients since October 1, 2009 (averaging 62 lbs per household per month).  We have seen our number of regular clients increase by 28%.

During the holiday season, we were able to feed more families, children and seniors thanks to our generous community, who donated more than 25,000 lbs of food and more than 200 monetary donations.  We believe our donations increased this year due to our new central location – Thank you Rockland Trust!   We are fortunate that more than 74 volunteers joined us to help us sort, check dates and stock our shelves with these community donations.  To help us accommodate such generosity, CVS volunteers helped us build shelves and makeover our storage room (a “move that bus” moment was shared by all!). 

We were able to accomplish all of the above during a very difficult economic period that we know will continue into 2010. Unemployment remains high and there are many people still struggling to secure enough nutritious food to feed their families.

Good food nourishes the body and the spirit. With regular, nutritious meals, we are free to grow, to think, to smile, to live.  In 2010, we will expand our capacity to provide our clients with a wide range of opportunities for gaining access to local, fresh, nutritious food.  We are excited to announce our partnership with Tangerini’s Farm in Millis (139 Spring St) to offer fresh produce to clients from June through October.  Please visit http://www.tangerinisfarm.com/  to learn more about our Food to Share CSA program and consider making a donation to help make fresh and local produce accessible to everyone.  We are grateful to our volunteer Heather for working with Laura Tangerini to help us create this exciting local program! 

We hope to learn with you, our community, the many elements of nutrition, food systems, local resources and to explore the questions, “What is food?” and “Where does our food come from?”

Volunteers and food donations are always welcome.

Thank you for making a difference.

Anne Marie Bellavance, Executive Director
Franklin Food Pantry
43 West Central Street
P.O. Box 116
Franklin, MA 02038-0116
Telephone: 508-528-3115

hours: Monday - Friday 9am - 1pm


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



Franklin, MA