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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