Janet Rivers, Community Relationship Manager at Wakefield Co-operative Bank and Director of Community Relations at Wakefield Food Pantry with Maureen Miller, Executive Director of Wakefield Food Pantry, with some of the many generous donations from bank employees and the local community. Other generous donations have included 36 cans of vegetables during Week One’s “Groundhog Day” theme, and local residents dropping off bags of food to go along with each themed week. Collection boxes were hand painted by Wakefield High student, Kenny Kribble, who has been working on screen prints in class with WHS art teacher, Joy Schilling, and chose Andy Warhol’s Campbell’s Tomato Soup for the box design.
Wakefield Co-operative Bank is holding a February Food Drive all month to benefit Wakefield Food Pantry, The Food Drive in Melrose and Bread of Life.
Each week features a special category of items to donate, chosen with a theme in mind. Upcoming weeks’ themes are:
2/14 – 2/20 Valentine’s Day:
In honor of Valentine’s Day, the bank is collecting items that are red. Suggested ideas include canner or jarred: sauces, stewed & crushed tomatoes, chili, beets, salsa & chips and red lentil pasta.
2/21 – 2/27 Presidents’ Day:
Presidents’ Day is in the heart of winter season. This week the bank is collecting hearty staples to keep the warmth in the hearts and bellies of those in need. Suggested items include canned chili, stew & hearty soups; boxed or canned pasta meals & pasta roni; spaghetti sauce.
Items dropped off at the bank’s 526 Main Street, Melrose branch will be donated to The Food Drive in Melrose & Bread of Life. Items dropped off at the bank’s 342 Main Street, Wakefield branch or 596 Main Street, Lynnfield branch will be donated to Wakefield Food Pantry.
For more information, visit www.wakefieldcoop.com or locate the event on Facebook. Please contact Janet Rivers, Community Relationship Manager, at jrivers@wcbbank.com or 781-910-5011 to schedule curbside drop off. Community donations are especially important given the current times and are so very appreciated by the bank, Wakefield Food Pantry, The Food Drive and Bread of Life.
Wakefield Food Pantry, Wakefield, MA
The mission of Wakefield Food Pantry is to provide food and household necessities to residents in need and strives to provide high-quality service to guests with respect, dignity, sensitivity, and integrity. Wakefield Food Pantry was founded in 1982 by members of the First Baptist Church in Wakefield so that no one would go hungry in the community. Its volunteers help to meet the food and household needs of almost 600 families (about 1,100 people) who visit the pantry each year by.
The Food Drive, Melrose, MA
The Food Drive facilitates the redistribution of rescued, excess, and donated food to local organizations helping to feed neighbors in need. Founded in November 2020, The Food Drive has rescued over 25,000 pounds of food from local businesses and donations and delivered it to Bread of Life in Malden, A Servant’s Heart Food Pantry and Pantry of Hope in Melrose, Everett Grace Food Pantry & Outreach, Malden Warming Center, Caritas Communities (Melrose & Wakefield residences) and Steele House & McCarthy House of Melrose Housing Authority. As a new non-profit, The Food Drive’s business model is small, flexible, and super-local in order to serve the community in tackling both hunger and food waste.
Bread of Life, Malden, MA
Bread of Life serves communities north of Boston, with a mission to feed the body and to nurture the soul. Bread of Life strives to feed the hungry, the homeless, the needy and the isolated; to offer spiritual nurture, support and hospitality; to promote greater peace and justice by addressing broader issues of hunger, poverty, and need; and to conduct its work in a spirit of respect and nonviolence. Founded in 1980, Bread of Life brings together over 500 volunteers from 40 partner organizations that include congregations from the faith community, businesses, civic organizations, schools, government and social service agencies to offer free food to hungry, homeless, and isolated people. Bread of Life distributes the equivalent of 1 million free meals per year.
Jana Gimenez, President of The Food Drive, and Janet Rivers, Community Relationship Manager at Wakefield Co-operative Bank, holding a generous donation of $100 in gift cards from a member of the community. Collection box design by Kenny Kibble, Wakefield High art student of art teacher, Joy Schilling.
