June 30, 2025 newsletter

Good morning good morning good morning! What a beautiful weekend it was once the little bit of rain moved out. I'm happy to tell you that our Friday night dinner and Saturday morning pantry sessions went very well, and that the sessions from the previous weekend when I was out of town did as well. It's great to know that I'm not needed! We have such wonderful volunteers, and plenty of people who can step in when necessary and run things just fine! Special thanks go out to Shepherd of the Valley, and in particular to Angela and Andy G, for providing dinner on the Friday night I was gone. Love you guys!

Before I forget, I wanted to let you know that we have a volunteer opportunity for people who like people...and coffee. We need a few more people to join our Coffee Bar team on Saturday mornings so that we can have it more frequently. Some folks just like to grab a cuppa and a donut on their way out, but there are usually a few who really NEED to stay and talk. Whether they are lonely, in need of other resources, or just sociable, it's been great when we can have an organized area for them to sit and gather. You don't have to be a social worker or counselor, you just have to care and be able to let them talk until someone with the resource list is available. Usually though, it's just a matter of spending some time and making a new friend. Let me know if you are interested!

Another great thing to tell you about: we received a surprise visit from Kathy D, one of our wonderful cookie bakers. She was dropping off a donation from the Ayer Rotary Club, which we really appreciated. (She also offered to make a load of cookies right before leaving for vacation, because that's just the kind of person she is! 💕 ) For those who don't know, the Ayer Rotary and its many members came to our rescue our first year of operating a pantry. Some of you have already heard this story, but I'm going to tell it anyway :-)

It was the covid shutdown, and we immediately stocked and began serving every Saturday morning from our underfunded pantry. We never once ran out of food, largely thanks to the generosity of the community. We packed on Wednesdays, gave away everything we had on Saturdays, and prayed that enough would show up to be able to pack again on the next Wednesday. Then in April, Joan P and her team showed up unannounced with enough food to take us through several weeks. For the very first time in a month (a very loooong month!), we were able to get ahead of that desperate packing/serving cycle. It gave us the freedom of some time to look for other sources of donations, to purchase what we needed at the best prices, and to look for grants. We have never forgotten their generosity, and although I have told them all what they meant to us, I think it's important for everyone else to know as well. Rotary is an amazing organization, and we are very blessed to be in relationship with both the Ayer and the Groton-Pepperell clubs.

If you can shop for us this week, we are a bit low on a few items: baked beans, canned pasta like spaghettios, coffee, toilet paper, shampoo, and conditioner. Those last two items are for our personal care bags. We can take drop-offs at the pantry (through the gray door next to the parking lot on Cambridge Street) on Wednesdays from 10 to noon, Fridays from 4 to 5, and Saturdays only from 9 to 10. Please do not leave food at the door outside of these hours. 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! We are located at 21 Washington Street, Suite C, Ayer MA 01432

Have a glorious week! I love you all