March 25, 2024 newsletter

 

Good morning everyone! As March winds down, I realized that we have just passed a major milestone. It was March 21, in the first year of covid 2020, when we had our first drive up full food pantry session. All we had at that time were shelf-stable products and people who were desperate. Do you remember how empty the shelves were in the grocery stores, and how many hourly wage earners lost their income overnight? We had already been running a food and clothing pantry...mostly clothing really...for around a year, and we were only providing occasional emergency food to some of our homeless dinner guests and a few other neighbors. We went from serving 4 to 5 people every two weeks to serving up to 85 each week. It was a crazy time, and although we sometimes ran out of specific items, we never ran out of most, and never, ever had to turn anyone away.

We were quickly able to expand into fresh foods, acquired weekly since we didn't have adequate storage. Now we have a little bit of storage, but same still goes: fresh comes in weekly on a schedule, and pantry items still come in thanks to all of you! At the bottom of this letter is where I always list the things we're low on this week. As long as you continue to believe in our mission of community involvement...at the dinners, through the pantry, and in our free community-building programs...we will keep moving forward.

This week I have special thanks to send out to our friend Karen , who lives all the way over in Maynard. Karen knits during the cool months, and she has routinely been bringing us lovely handmade scarves and hats. We certainly appreciate all the donations of store-bought ones too, but just like the cookies, there's something about receiving something handmade 💕  Laurie S tells me that there are new people who've signed up to bake cookies too, and we are thrilled to hear that that task can now be shared among more volunteers. We want everyone to be able to take weeks off without worrying! Thank you to all of you, every donor of every item, for supporting our guests.

If you or any of your friends are on MassHealth, you may know that everyone needs to renew their coverage this year. This has confused many people, and especially those who don't have access to computers or know how to use them. Community Health Connections received a grant to help people do this, including in-person translation services. I've attached the flyer with the information: Sunday, April 14th, from 9 to 2 in Leominster. Please pass this information on to anyone you think might need it! We don't want anyone having a lapse in their coverage when it can be avoided.

If you can shop for us this week, we are in need of a few items: soups (no fish or shellfish, please), cereal, canned pasta (like spaghettios), 1 or 2 lb bags of rice (white or brown), and large containers of apple juice. Any other food items from our full list that you might find on sale are also always gratefully received! We'll be at the pantry on Wednesday from 10 to noon, Friday from 4 to 5:30, and Saturday from 9 to noon for drop-offs. And the bin is always available at Shop n' Save if those times don't suit. Please leave a note in the bag with your name so we know whom to thank!

I love you all...have a great week!