Yes, we still have more people coming to dinner and to the pantry than before the shutdown, but also yes, they seemed a bit more calm and hopeful this week. One thing for sure, they definitely were very grateful for all of the food that YOU have enabled us to provide. Thanks to the Police Union, we purchased more gift cards for turkeys and put them together with the Thanksgiving bags that our Lin and Vinny made. Many more people are going to have a happy Thanksgiving this year because of you. I can't stress that enough...sometimes people will say to us, “I wish I could do more,” but just think back to the whole point of Stone Soup: many people, each contributing what they can equals a fabulous, delicious soup (hot dinner/pantry/coffee bar/etc).
Some examples: on Friday, my friends Angela and Cindy made dinner for everyone and I got a day off from cooking. And on top of that, Lyna T came in and gave haircuts that evening. What a blessing! These are acts of service that I could have reported in our One Small Thing segment, but believe me, they are a very big deal to us.
Speaking of acts of service, several of you have asked about helping out at Thanksgiving. Here's the info: we are not doing a meal on Thanksgiving Thursday, but we are doing the full turkey dinner on our usual Friday. I have already cooked and carved the turkeys, and they are in my freezer, along with the gravy. For anyone who wants to contribute to the meal, here's the deal: this is a potluck, and food CAN NOT be dropped off. Anyone who wants to cook something must also stay and eat with us. If you would like to help, please email me with what you want to make and how much of it (it's all up for grabs at this point), and how many people you'll be bringing with you. All food must be cooked at home: we can not cook at the church, only reheat.
I came across this article on SNAP, WIC, and CNPs, detailing the history of these programs. I thought I knew a lot about them, but I learned much more than I already knew:
https://open.substack.com/pub/sharonmcmahon/p/the-shutdown-and-the-dinner-table
If you want to shop for us this week, just a reminder that the Ayer Police and Fire departments will be in the parking lot of Ayer Shop 'n Save on Sunday, November 23rd from 10 to 1pm. Their plan is to stuff a cruiser! This is always a fun event. We can also take drop-offs at the pantry (through the gray door off 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
I love and appreciate each and every one of you! Have a great week
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