A Beautiful Day Coming for 2nd Annual Tonneson + Co 5K run/walk around Lake Quannapowitt

Register today to join in the fun and benefit a worthy cause, the Wakefield Interfaith Food Pantry's Kids First Program.  It looks like it's going to be a beautiful day to run or walk around our town's lovely lake. Invite family and friends and make a day of it!

Tonneson & Company, Inc., Certified Public Accountants and Consultants in Wakefield, are generously hosting the 2^nd Annual Tonneson + Co 5K run/walk around Lake Quannapowitt on Sunday, July 20, 2014 at 8:30 am.  All proceeds from the event will be donated to the Kids First program.

Kids First provides food to families with school age children during the summer months.  Many families receive free or reduced price breakfast and lunch during the school year but this help is not available during the summer.  The Kids First program offers the added food items to help replace those meals and support families in need.

To register for this event please visit http://tonneson5k.racewire.com.  Online registration before race day will be $25 for adults and $15 for kids ages 13 and under.  For those registering on the day of the race, registration will be $30 for adults and $15 for kids ages 13 and under.  Awards will be given for overall first place male and female participants as well as 1^st - 3^rd  place age group winners.  All 13 and under participants will receive a medal.

Tonneson + Co would like to thank the event’s major sponsor, Eastern Bank, as well as the other generous sponsors, Dennis K. Burke, Inc., East Boston Savings Bank, The Savings Bank, Tracelink, Inc., Wakefield Cooperative Bank and Zampell Companies.

If you are interested in more information about the race please contact Karianne Bekier at kcb@tonneson.com or 781-245-9999.

Sign up: The Tonneson + Co. 5K walk/run is July 20, 2014 -- Benefiting the Kids First Program

Tonneson & Company, Inc., Certified Public Accountants and Consultants in Wakefield, will be hosting the 2^nd Annual Tonneson + Co 5K run/walk around Lake Quannapowitt on Sunday, July 20, 2014 at 8:30 am.  All proceeds from the event will be donated to the Wakefield Interfaith Food Pantry to benefit the Kids First program.

The Kids First program provides food to families with school age children during the summer months.  Many families receive free or reduced price breakfast and lunch during the school year but this help is not available during the summer.  The Kids First program provides the added food items to help replace those meals and support families in need.

To register for this event please visit http://tonneson5k.racewire.com.  Online registration before race day will be $25 for adults and $15 for kids ages 13 and under.  For those registering on the day of the race, registration will be $30 for adults and $15 for kids ages 13 and under.  Awards will be given for overall first place male and female participants as well as 1^st - 3^rd  place age group winners.  All 13 and under participants will receive a medal.

Tonneson + Co would like to thank the event’s major sponsor, Eastern Bank, as well as the other generous sponsors, Dennis K. Burke, Inc., East Boston Savings Bank, The Savings Bank, Tracelink, Inc., Wakefield Cooperative Bank and Zampell Companies.

If you are interested in more information about the race please contact Karianne Bekier at kcb@tonneson.com or 781-245-9999.

Plant a Row for the Hungry!

Plant A Row for The Hungry

Donate Your Extra Freshly Grown Produce to the Food Pantry

Here’s a great idea from the Garden Writers Association.  Now is the ideal time to plan summer gardens that could yield a bounty of vegetables and herbs.  What will you do with the extra tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce or zucchini?  Why not give this fresh produce to the Wakefield Interfaith Food Pantry to support the effort to help our neighbors in need with locally grown, healthy foods?

The Plant A Row for the Hungry program which was launched in 1995 also encourages gardening enthusiasts to dedicate a row (or more) specifically for distribution to local food pantries.

Garden Writers Association website states that 20 million pounds of produce providing over 80 million meals have been donated by American gardeners since 1995. All of this has been achieved without government subsidy or bureaucratic red tape - just people helping people. There are over 84 million households with a yard or garden in the U.S. If every gardener plants one extra row of vegetables and donates their surplus to local food agencies and soup kitchens, a significant impact can be made on reducing hunger.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1 in 8 households in the United States experiences hunger or the risk of hunger. Many frequently skip meals or eat too little, sometimes going without food for an entire day. Approximately 33 million people, including 13 million children, have substandard diets or must resort to seeking emergency food because they cannot always afford the food they need. The demand for hunger assistance has increased by 70% in recent years, and research shows that hundreds of hungry children and adults are turned away from food banks each year because of lack of resources.

Get out your gardening gloves, tools and seeds and plant a row for the Wakefield Food Pantry!

The pantry will also be open on Saturday mornings in late summer and early fall for people to drop off their harvest.   Call 781-245-2510 for details.

Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive Was a Big Success for Food Pantry

Thanks to the generosity of the Wakefield community, volunteers, supporters and, of course, the letter carriers, the 2014 Stamp Out Hunger drive was a success.  The Wakefield Interfaith Food Pantry collected 317 bins of items which is about 6 tons of food to stock the pantry shelves.

“What an amazing effort from our Wakefield community and letter carriers.  There were also close to 100 volunteers helping throughout the day, including Boy Scouts, the Warrior Club, and many others,” said Maureen Miller, Director of Operations for the food pantry.

For over thirty years, the food pantry has been focused on eliminating hunger in Wakefield by providing a variety of food and other items to those in need.  Approximately 530 households rely on the food pantry for supplemental food and groceries.  About 900 people are served each month including more than 330 children of which more than half are under the age of 12. 

Monetary donations are also greatly needed and appreciated.  At the Americal Civic Center, the pantry has appropriate storage to utilize the extensive bulk purchasing power of the Greater Boston Food Bank  - enabling pantry volunteers to obtain additional food at very low cost. In fact, with a one-dollar donation, the food pantry can purchase more than four dollars worth of food for our neighbors in need.

Non-perishable food can be dropped off at the pantry at the Americal Civic Center (lower level) on 467 Main Street in Wakefield, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Thursday evening from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.  Also, Saturday food drives are often held from 10 a.m. to noon both at the pantry and other locations around Wakefield.

For more information about the Wakefield Interfaith Food Pantry and a list of most needed items, please visit www.wakefieldfoodpantry.org.

Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive: May 10, 2014

This year will mark the 22nd national Letter Carrier Food Drive, Stamp Out Hunger, to be held this year on Saturday, May 10, 2014. The concept behind the drive is simple: you leave non-perishable food donations at your mailbox—and the letter carriers take care of the rest. Last year, the National Letter Carriers Association collected more than 74 million pounds of food to help restock food banks, pantries and shelters around the country.

The Wakefield Interfaith Food Pantry relies on this drive to help stock its shelves and get ready for the summer months when food donations and drives tend to decrease.

"Wakefield is very fortunate to have letter carriers who are willing to pick up and deliver many pounds of food, along with their regular mail delivery each year," commented Maureen Miller, WIFP Director of Operations. “We’d like to thank each and every one of them for their help again this year.”

In addition, the pantry relies on many volunteers to help sort and stock the food that comes in after the letter carriers deliver the food.

For over thirty years, the food pantry has been focused on eliminating hunger in Wakefield by providing a variety of food and other items to those in need.  Approximately 530 households rely on the food pantry for supplemental food and groceries.  About 900 people are served each month including more than 330 children of which more than half are under the age of 12.  Non-perishable food can be dropped off at the pantry at the Americal Civic Center (lower level) on 467 Main Street in Wakefield, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Thursday evening from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.  Also, Saturday food drives are often held from 10 a.m. to noon both at the pantry and other locations around Wakefield. For more information about the Wakefield Interfaith Food Pantry, please visit www.wakefieldfoodpantry.org.

Please be generous and help Stamp Out Hunger on May 10^th.

Join the Wakefield Food Pantry at its Community Breakfast - May 14th

~The Goal is to Help Address Hunger and Access to Healthy Foods in our Community~

To help shape how we address hunger and access to healthy food in our community, the Wakefield Interfaith Food Pantry Phone 781.245.2510 is hosting a Community breakfast on May 14th from 8:30-10:00 a.m. at the Americal Civic Center.

The event will engage Wakefield businesses, the community, government, school and faith-based supporters in an interactive discussion about how we can work together to increase the access to healthy food for Wakefield residents in need. The event is free and you can register at http://wifpbreakfast.eventbrite.com/?aff=efbevent

There will also be updates on the pantry’s current programming and partnerships and information about the many ways to get involved. A tour of the food pantry will also be offered at the end of the meeting.

Guest speakers include:

Dorothy Goodwin, Founder and President, Gathering Change, Inc.

Singer/Songwriter and former Food Pantry client Kevin G. Moore

tonneson + co organizers of the Tonneson + Co 2nd Annual 5k Race for Wakefield Interfaith Food Pantry Kids First Program

All are welcome.  For more information, call 781.245.2510 or email info@wifoodpantry.org

Volunteers Needed for Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive: May 10, 2014

Spring Greetings from the Wakefield Food Pantry!

With May right around the corner, we are once again looking forward to our annual Postal Food Drive -- Stamp Out Hunger.  It is being held on Saturday, May 10th and this year we will be conducting the drive at the Galvin Middle School Cafeteria.

We have a variety of needs and shifts available and once again look forward to your help in making this another successful event.

2-5 pm-we welcome volunteers to work one hour shifts during this time and will need people to unload the Mail Trucks when they arrive, others to sort the received donations and bring them to the labeled tables and counters who will estimate the weight of the food received. We will also need help at the end of the shift (4-6 pm) to help transport the food over to the Pantry and clean up the cafeteria.

While it is hard to estimate how many donations will be coming in at any given time, we strive to be well-staffed in order to keep things running smoothly and truly appreciate your willingness to help along with your  understanding of possible periods of downtime.

Please contact us at by email:  volunteer@wifoodpantry.org. Let us know what activity (unloader, sorter, counter, transporter or clean-up) and time slot you are interested in so that we know where to place you on the schedule.  Also, please include a second time slot you would be willing to volunteer for in case your original request is already filled.  We will confirm your assignment via email once the master schedule is completed.

Thank you for your continued interest in volunteering for the Wakefield Interfaith Food Pantry.

Wakefield Fire Department to Host Food Drive: February 22, 2014

The Food Pantry is grateful to the Wakefield Fire Department which will host a Food Drive  on Saturday, February 22^nd.  Members of the community are invited to drop off non-perishable food items to the Pantry, located at the Americal Civic Center (lower level) between 10 AM and Noon on Saturday.  

For information about most-needed food items, visit:  www.wifoodpantry.org  

Financial donations are also much needed to stock the pantry shelves, and may be made payable to WIFP.

Many thanks to the Eastern Bank staff for their efforts in hosting a food drive on February 8^th. 

Special Valentine's Day Gift: A Donation to the Food Pantry

Are you looking for a truly special gift to give to your Valentine(s) this year?  Make a donation to the food pantry in your loved one's name.  We have beautiful printable cards on the website which let you share the news of your gift to your special people. Happy Valentine's Day!

http://www.wifoodpantry.org/wi_celebratehonor.html

An Opportunity to Help a Local Non-Profit Group That Supports the Food Pantry via The Boston Globe

The Boston Globe announced the launch of a grant called "Globe Readers and Non-Profits Together" (GRANT).  A new initiative to award up to $20 million in free advertising to local 501(c)3 non-profits. 

If you are a Boston Globe subscriber you will receive (or may have already received) a voucher by mail (or email for online subscribers) which allows you to support your favorite non-profit to receive free advertising dollars – at no cost to you.  Seven-day newspaper subscribers' vouchers are valued at $100; all other subscribers (including website-only readers) have been sent vouchers valued at $50. (Look for a silver envelope).

One of the Wakefield Interfaith Food Pantry’s supporters is Gathering Change, a non-profit group that brings together neighbors to help alleviate hunger, by raising awareness, facilitating the collection of spare change and other funds to give to local food pantries.  Advertising would go a long way in advancing their mission.

Please consider sending in a voucher naming Gathering Change as a recipient of this advertising opportunity.  For more information about Gathering Change, you can visit their website: www.gatheringchangeinc.org, or email dgoodwin@gatheringchangeinc.org.

Fill Up the Shelves at the Food Pantry During this Year’s Souper Bowl of Caring!

No matter which team is your favorite for the upcoming Super Bowl XLVIII on February 2, 2014, we all

win when we cheer on the Wakefield Interfaith Food Pantry (WIFP) during the Souper Bowl of Caring drive!

WIFP is encouraging everyone in the community to collect monetary donations and much needed food items to stock the pantry shelves during The Souper Bowl of Caring,a national endeavor to use the energy of the Super Bowl to mobilize youth in a united effort to care for people in their local communities who are in need. Super Bowl weekend – the first Sunday in February – can be nation's largest celebration of giving and serving – if we all participate!

To spark donations, WIFP is asking businesses to offer special promotions to their clients and congregations and other organizations to communicate the effort to their members. In addition, families and friends who host Super Bowl parties are encouraged to ask their guests to make financial donations or bring a couple of cans of food to the get-togethers on February 2, 2014, Super Bowl Sunday.  Most needed food items include shelf stable milk, brand cereal, jarred spaghetti sauce, canned fruit, coffee, canned chicken, mayonnaise, beef stew and baked beans.

Pantry clients are our neighbors who are facing challenging financial situations, often caused by a job layoff, low wages, a disabling accident, the high cost of medical care or skyrocketing bills.  Over 500 families, made up of approximately 900 individuals, rely on the pantry for supplemental food and household necessities each year.  Nearly 20% of these families are elderly and close to 40% are families with children.  Donations are of great importance especially during the winter months when there tend to be fewer food drives.

Monetary donations are also greatly needed and appreciated.  At the Americal Civic Center, the pantry has appropriate storage to utilize the extensive bulk purchasing power of the Greater Boston Food Bank  - enabling pantry volunteers to obtain additional food at very low cost. In fact, with a one-dollar donation, the food pantry can purchase more than four dollars worth of food for our neighbors in need.

Food items collected can be dropped off at the WIFP Drop Off Box located on the lower level of the Americal Civic Center during open hours or at the Town Hall Drop Off Box. (Be sure that you don’t donate food that has expired!) Any financial donations can be mailed to the Wakefield Interfaith Food Pantry at P.O. Box 1624, Wakefield, MA 01880.

For more information about participating in The Souper Bowl of Caring at the Wakefield Interfaith Food Pantry, please email the WIFP at fooddrive@wifoodpantry.org.

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WHS Hockey Team Hosts a Food Drive, January 11, 2014

The Holidays are behind us, but there are still many individuals and families in need here in Wakefield.  On Saturday, January 11th, the Wakefield High School Varsity Boy’s Hockey Team will sponsor a joint Food Drive to benefit the Wakefield Interfaith Food Pantry.  Between 10AM-Noon on Saturday, members of the community are encouraged to drop off non-perishable food donations at the Pantry, which is located at the Americal Civic Center (lower level) on Main St.  Checks are also appreciated, and may be made out to The Wakefield Interfaith Food Pantry.  For an updated list of most needed food items, please visit the website:  www.wifoodpantry.org     

Random Acts of Kindness to Kick Off the New Year

The Wakefield Interfaith Food Pantry was lucky enough to be a recipient of the generosity of three children who truly care about being kind and caring for their neighbors in need.  Two bags of change were taped to the pantry doors to share their "random act of kindness".  What a great way to kick off the new year!