Wakefield Youth Lacrosse Hosts Food Drive, June 2nd & 3rd

Wakefield Youth Lacrosse is sponsoring food drive to benefit the Wakefield Interfaith Food Pantry this weekend on June 2^nd and 3^rd at the fields at Galvin Middle School during the games. 

Look for collection bins near the grilles or field entrances. Everyone who donates an item will be entered into a raffle for a chance to win 4 Boston Cannon's Tickets!!

The most needed food items are:  canned tuna (solid white) /canned chicken,canned fruit, rice/pasta meals, baking items such as cake/frosting and cookie mixes.

Special Election Day Food Collection: June 9, 2012

When you go to the Wakefield High School Field House to vote in the Special Election on June 9th to approve a Debt Exclusion to build a new Galvin Middle School, please bring a food donation to help stock the shelves of the Wakefield Interfaith Food Pantry. 

The recent Letter Carriers Food Drive did not bring in as much food as in previous years and the pantry is consistently busy during the summer months. Bins will be available throughout the Field House for the convenience of the givers. Any and all donations are greatly appreciated!

In addition, the food pantry is in need of volunteers on that day to empty the bins and bring the food back to the food pantry at the Civic Center location.  For information about volunteering, please call 781-245-2510 (choose option 5 to volunteer your time).

Thanks To All Who Participated in the Letter Carriers Food Drive

A Big Thank You to All Who Gave or Helped!  2012 Letter Carriers' Food Drive

Eighty or more volunteers were on hand at the Wakefield Interfaith Food Pantry on Saturday May 12^th to help unload, sort, and store the food from the annual Letter Carriers’ Food Drive. 

While there was an unfortunate glitch this year that resulted in the residents of Wakefield and some surrounding communities not getting a reminder postcard about the drive, the pantry did receive about one and a quarter tons of food from those who saw the information in our local newspapers, on the Wakefield Patch, and on Facebook.

At least 10,000 cities and towns across America participate in the National Association of Letter Carriers’ Food Drive, Stamp Out Hunger, which takes place each year on the second Saturday of May. This is a voluntary effort taken on by the employees of each community's Post Office.

 "Wakefield is lucky to have letter carriers who are willing to each pick up and deliver pounds of food, along with their regular mail delivery each year," said Maureen Miller, WIFP Director of Operations. “It was disappointing that donations were down due to the postcard issue.  However, our local letter carriers never cease to amaze us with their commitment and willingness to collect food items during their daily rounds to help Wakefield individuals and families who need food.”

The success of this food drive is always a testament to the power of people working together. The WIFP, which assists over 800 adults and children in our community each month who would otherwise go hungry, would like to thank the postal customers who donated the food, the letter carriers who carried the food, and the wonderful volunteers who came out to support the drive.

“The biggest thank you goes to everyone in Wakefield who took the time and thought to donate food that will enable the WIFP to continue helping our neighbors in need,” commented Wendy Dennis, Chair of the WIFP Board of Directors.

For more information about the Wakefield Interfaith Food Pantry, please visit:  www.wifoodpantry.org.

Wakefield Interfaith Food Pantry is Seeking Board Members

The Wakefield Interfaith Food Pantry (WIFP) is seeking qualified candidates to fill two board vacancies effective July 1, 2012. Potential candidates should have a strong desire to promote and serve WIFP in its mission to combat hunger in our community, and also have the skills needed to address the various aspects of managing a service organization.

 Application Deadline May 15!

Candidates should submit a letter of interest and a Board Member Application to Wendy Dennis, WIFP Board President, PO Box 1624, Wakefield, MA 01880 or via email to wendy.dennis@verizon.net by Tuesday May 15.

You may contact Ms. Dennis by email or at 781-246-9751 or Corporate Clerk Beth Hendriks at the-hendriks-family@rcn.com or  781-246-3969 with any questions or to request an application. You may also download an application in pdf or MS Word format at www.wifoodpantry.org/wifpboardapp.pdf or www.wifoodpantry.org/wifpboardapp.doc

Volunteers Needed for Annual Letter Carriers Food Drive, May 12, 2012

The annual Letter Carrier/Postal  Food Drive is Saturday, May 12, 2012. On that day, Wakefield residents are asked to leave a bag or box of non-perishable food by their mailbox. Letter carriers will pick up the food on their postal routes and deliver it that afternoon to the Wakefield Interfaith Food Pantry (WIFP) at the Americal Civic Center.

The Pantry is looking for volunteers to help unload and sort the food donations. Specifically:

10-11:30 a.m. We will require strong, able-bodied volunteers to set-up tables in the gym upstairs from the Food Pantry to accommodate the donations once they start arriving.

2-5:00 p.m. We welcome volunteers to work one hour shifts during this time to unload the mail trucks when they arrive, to sort the received donations and bring them to the labeled tables, and people who will act as “counters” to estimate the weight of the food received and transporters who will bring filled boxes downstairs to the Pantry.

5-6:00 p.m.  We need help with clean-up, breaking down the tables, and clearing the gym.

If you can spare some time during this day, please contact:  volunteer@wifp.org or call 781-245-2510 (option 5 for 'volunteer your time') to discuss the details and the schedule.

As always, we truly appreciate your willingness to help and look forward to another successful event.