OCTOBER 2011

Clients are allowed to use our pantry every 2 weeks. What they receive from us does not come close to being enough food for more than a few days, and we never have every category. So our pantry simply augments a family’s food budget. Sometimes we come across a special situation and try to provide a client with a grocery shopping card, usually $10, $15, $20, $25, depending on what we have. If you would like to help us with this, just buy a grocery card (all denominations are welcome) at a local supermarket and drop it off at the pantry on Mondays, or anytime at Pratt Realtors. Or you may mail to Canton Food Pantry, c/o Canton Area Helpline, PO Box 202, Canton, MA 02021.

Looking ahead to Thanksgiving, we will be looking for donations of store-bought pies (we can’t give out any home made items). We typically give out 125 or more. If you are a member of a group or organization that could commit to donating a number of pies, please let us know how many by emailing carol@thevolpes.com.

Thanks so much for your help! We couldn't assist our clients without your support!

This month we are asking for donations of

CEREAL, PEANUT BUTTER, SPAGHETTI SAUCE, PASTA,

BAKING GOODS, TUNA, COFFEE,

TOOTHPASTE, SHAMPOO, FEMININE HYGIENE PRODUCTS, DIAPERS,

CANNED VEGETABLES, JELLO/PUDDING,

and HALLOWEEN CANDY FOR OUR CLIENTS TO GIVE TO TRICK-OR-TREATERS

Items may be dropped off at the following locations:
Canton Food Pantry, 960R Washington St., (rear of Rodman Building) most Mondays 7-9am, and every Tues. 8:30-9am
Canton Co-Operative Bank, 671 Washington St., Mon-Fri 9am-5pm
Bank of Canton, 557 Washington St., Mon - Fri 9am-5pm
Canton Public Library, 786 Washington St., Mon 1-9pm, Tues-Thurs 9:30am-9:00pm
Pratt Realtors, Inc., 1475 Washington St., Daily 7am-5pm

September 2011

Thanks to all our friends who donated backpacks and school supplies to be distributed to our clients' children. We were able to deliver 55 backpacks to the Canton Fire Department where clients could come in and pick them up. Kudos to Charlie Doody for the use of the training room and organizing it - the firemen were a great help unloading the backpacks and setting them up in an orderly way. The response was great (and quick!) - we really appreciate it!

If people have excess home grown fresh vegetables we can take them at the pantry on Monday mornings.

This time of year we can use EVERYTHING, but especially

Canned Vegetables

Jello

Peanut Butter

Soup

Cereal

Pasta

Pasta Sauce

Canned fruit

Cake/brownie mixes

Juice

Coffee

Toothpaste

Shampoo

Items may be dropped off at the following locations:
Canton Food Pantry, 960R Washington St., (rear of Rodman Building) most Mondays 7-9am, and every Tues. 8:30-9am
Canton Co-Operative Bank, 671 Washington St., Mon-Fri 9am-5pm
Bank of Canton, 557 Washington St., Mon - Fri 9am-5pm
Canton Public Library, 786 Washington St., Mon 1-9pm, Tues-Thurs 9:30am-9:00pm
Pratt Realtors, Inc., 1475 Washington St., Daily 7am-5pm

Thank you,

Your friends at the Canton Food Pantry

Request for Back to School Backpacks and Supplies

We are asking for donations of backpacks complete with school supplies for the children of the families that use the Canton Food Pantry. We realize this is short notice, so if a backpack full of supplies is too ambitious, perhaps you could donate just a backpack, or some school supplies, or even a gift card to Walmart or CVS.

Janet Pratt has allowed us to leave these at her 1475 Washington St. office and we will then distribute them at the Food Pantry. Backpacks and supplies need to be at her office by Sunday August 28^th.

Please forward this to anyone you think might be able to help out and is not on our distribution list.

Thanks so much!

August 2011

I know this email is substantially the same as last month, but that’s because we still need everything! Summer is our slowest time for donations, yet it is the time that people need the most food because the kids are around and those who are used to having 2 free meals at school obviously are not getting them in the summer.

So think of what you like to eat in the summer, and donate that. Good items to donate would include cereal, tuna, ham, fruit – but as we said above, we need everything, so whatever you drop off is appreciated and welcome.

Our directors have asked us to put out a special call for instant coffee.

Items may be dropped off at the following locations:
Canton Food Pantry, 960R Washington St., (rear of Rodman Building) most Mondays 7-9am, and every Tues. 8:30-9am
Canton Co-Operative Bank, 671 Washington St., Mon-Fri 9am-5pm
Bank of Canton, 557 Washington St., Mon - Fri 9am-5pm
Canton Public Library, 786 Washington St., Mon 1-9pm, Tues-Thurs 9:30am-9:00pm
Pratt Realtors, Inc., 1475 Washington St., Daily 7am-5pm

Thank you for taking time out of your busy summer to support our clients. We really appreciate all that you do for us.

JULY 2011

Dear Friends,

Our directors have told me that we need everything! In particular, they mentioned canned vegetables, cereal, tuna, peanut butter & jelly, spaghettio’s, shampoo, and toothpaste. They stressed that they would welcome donations of ANYTHING!

Mary Ellen and Carolann also asked me to remind our supporters that summer is our slowest time for donations, yet it is the time that people need the most food because the kids are around and those who are used to having 2 free meals at school for their kids are obviously not getting them in the summer.

Items may be dropped off at the following locations:
Canton Food Pantry, 960R Washington St., (rear of Rodman Building) most Mondays 7-9am, and every Tues. 8:30-9am
Canton Co-Operative Bank, 671 Washington St., Mon-Fri 9am-5pm
Bank of Canton, 557 Washington St., Mon - Fri 9am-5pm
Canton Public Library, 786 Washington St., Mon 1-9pm, Tues-Thurs 9:30am-9:00pm
Pratt Realtors, Inc., 1475 Washington St., Daily 7am-5pm

We’d also like to remind you that we take gift cards (Shaw’s, Stop & Shop, Shell gas, Walmart, etc.) if that is an easier way for you to donate. Checks and gift cards may be mailed to: Canton Area Helpline, PO Box 202, Canton, MA 02021. If you are writing a check, please write “FOOD” in the memo line.

Thank you for taking time out of your busy summer to support our clients. We really appreciate all that you do for us.

Your friends at the Canton Food Pantry

TOWN WIDE FOOD DRIVE - SAT. MAY 14

So sorry, but we advertised an incorrect date for the town wide Mail Carriers Food Drive.
The correct date is Saturday, May 14. We hope this is not inconvenient for anyone.

May 2011

Special note: We need volunteers to help with the Mail Carriers’ Food Drive on Saturday, May 7, from 3-6pm. We will be giving community service hours for all students who volunteer.

Once again, we need everything! Although the Mail Carriers’ Food Drive is Saturday, May 7th, there are many items that we typically don’t receive from that drive. So this month we are asking for:

~TOILET PAPER

~PERSONAL CARE ITEMS LIKE SHAMPOO, TOOTHPASTE, SOAP

~CEREAL

~JUICE

~TUNA

~JELLY

~CANNED FRUIT

ITEMS MAY BE LEFT FOR YOUR MAIL CARRIER ON MAY 7, OR AS USUAL YOU MAY DROP THEM OFF AT THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS:
Canton Food Pantry, 960R Washington St., (rear of Rodman Building) most Mondays 7-9am, and every Tues. 8:30-9am
Canton Co-Operative Bank, 671 Washington St., Mon-Fri 9am-5pm
Bank of Canton, 557 Washington St., Mon - Fri 9am-5pm
Canton Public Library, 786 Washington St., Mon 1-9pm, Tues-Thurs 9:30am-9:00pm
Pratt Realtors, Inc., 1475 Washington St., Daily 7am-5pm

THANKS SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR DONATIONS AS WELL AS THE MANY OFFERS TO VOLUNTEER THAT WE RECEIVE EACH MONTH. WE ARE TRULY FORTUNATE TO LIVE IN A TOWN WITH GENEROUS RESIDENTS LIKE YOU.