Good morning! Although we have officially seen the end of the season of fresh produce from Boston Area Gleaners and their beautiful farm in Acton, unofficially we've continued to receive the bounty from some last minute loads that come from other area farms. Thanks to the diligence of Jess in Acton, and our friends Alison + Rich who do the pick ups, we've continued to be able to pass these fruits and vegetables out to our guests, and also to send the excess further west to other pantries. We are grateful every week for these food warriors! Boston Area Gleaners sent out an end of the season report that I think you'll find interesting:
“This year is particularly special as we celebrate 20 years in operation. With your partnership, we’ve been able to expand our reach and strengthen our efforts toward a more equitable food system.
For instance, this year we have distributed 1.5 million pounds of produce (and counting!) to 61 food access partners. That is a 41% increase in distributed produce compared to last year.”
Friends, that is 1.5 million pounds of produce that would otherwise have ended up WASTED! Amazing, isn't it? Let me know if you have any interest in volunteering with the Gleaners, and I'll get you in touch with the right person!
So many good things happened this past week! I asked you for gloves, and you stepped up mightily! Thank you!! We received gloves and promises of more gloves from individuals, church groups, businesses, and more. Secondly, the crew from the Ayer office of National Grid came and helped us clean, pack, decorate for Christmas, and anything else we could think of (thank you Mich and Jacque!). This is also the time of year that we put together a little holiday foods gift bag for each family, pack bags full of baking mixes and supplies, and distribute small quarter-round hams or turkeys for Christmas or other holiday meals. Thank you to all of you who made monetary donations towards these things as we work hard to help everyone in our community have a good holiday.
Another part of our year-round mission, but especially important during this season, is to help people feel included in community. Debbie and Martha came on Saturday to set up our Coffee Bar where people could grab a cuppa and chat (with Ruby Donuts!!) or grab and go if they needed to. The faces changed throughout the morning, but it seemed like it was always busy. I only had one brief chance to come take a picture, which is included. If you didn't make it into the picture this time, I'm sorry and I'll try to get you next time!
If you can shop for us this week, we will gratefully take any food items from our full list that you might find on sale. If you need the list, please let me know. 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!
Breathe deeply, and enjoy this season...it passes so quickly
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