July 8, 2024 newsletter

 Good morning all! Just a quick reminder that public buildings in our towns are just that: public. If you know people who need to get cooled down, they can stop in at our libraries, senior centers (over 60, I believe), town halls, or police/fire stations. Not all of these buildings are set up for hanging out all day, but they can certainly be visited to get some relief and find out other places that may be available. Please be on the lookout especially for people who are living in their cars or other hot spots.

We had a good but busy week, and I've got a couple of things to tell you about today. The first is that one of our reading literacy volunteers has concluded her work as a tutor with her current learner! Instead of retiring from volunteering, she would like to help the next person. I will be putting it out to the community on social media, but I wanted to ask all of you first. Do you know someone who could use help getting up to speed on reading, improving their comprehension and/or practicing in a friendly low-pressure environment? [Note: this is not ESL she is offering]

The second thing I need to let you know about is the current volunteer opportunities. We had Hannah, who is interning at National Grid, come and help us out on Wednesday with packing, sorting, and stocking. Her picture is attached. We've been fortunate to have some folks join our Wednesday team on a regular basis so that we can get special projects done throughout the month. Last week, I asked about anyone who would like to join the Saturday distribution rotation, and I've talked with one person about it so far. Our plan is for anyone interested to try it out on a Saturday when we are already fully staffed, so that they can make an informed decision about it. Most folks come and work once or twice per month, according to their availability. Just a reminder: this is a very physical job, with a fast pace and some heavy-ish lifting, from 8:30 until noon on a Saturday morning.

If you are able to shop for us this week, we are very low on certain items: baked beans, rice, canned corn, pasta (anything but lasagna), spaghetti sauce, small boxes of plain instant potatoes, jelly, soups (especially low sodium, but no seafood please), and 18oz containers of plain oatmeal. And as always, anything from our complete list that you find on sale is gratefully welcome! 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 appreciate you all so much! Thank you for helping us through the hot months 💕