To the editor:
With the economy being what it was this year, we knew the Cape Ann Food Pantry was facing the potential of greater need for food assistance around the holidays.
In preparation, we started in September to raise the funds and get the turkey commitments needed to help meet the anticipated increase in requests for turkey meal baskets. We worked with the Greater Boston Food Bank, local donors and wholesalers to pull together the birds and all the fixings it takes to set a festive Thanksgiving table.
It was our goal to provide a turkey and all the fixings to every eligible household making a request. We were prepared with a backup plan of providing a gift card (a plastic turkey, if you will) in the event that we didn't have enough birds on site to meet the need. And, then began distribution week.
As it turned out, we did not need to use the gift cards. There were enough turkeys complete with potatoes, carrots, squash, apples, stuffing, cranberry and gravy for every eligible household that requested a holiday meal basket. We distributed turkey meal baskets at all four of our Mobile Market sites on Cape Ann — Pathways for Children, Willowood Gardens, Riverdale Park and Kitefield Road. We also provided turkeys for our food pantry clients right up until 4 p.m. the day before Thanksgiving.
We had enough to provided meal baskets for residents of Wellspring's Chestnut Street housing, clients of North Shore Health Project and a few extra turkeys for the American Legion's community annual meal.
2008 Thanksgiving Meal Baskets distributed: 730.
2007 Thanksgiving Meal Baskets distributed: 564.
2006 Thanksgiving Meal Baskets distributed: 473.
In addition to the turkey meal baskets, our annual food drive attracted 115 groups and individuals who collected food to help keep the the Cape Ann Food Pantry shelves stocked this winter. The food pantry is a program that runs year round to provide income qualified households with access to groceries once every seven days.
2008: 26,032 pounds.
2007: 23,535 pounds.
2006: 21,837 pounds.
The services of the Cape Ann Food Pantry have grown up out of the generous heart of this community. We could not do what we do each year without a little help from everyone.
From our place on 28 Emerson Ave. to yours, wherever that may be, thank you for making a better Thanksgiving possible for so many people.
Julie LaFontaine
Executive Director, Open Door/Cape Ann Food Pantry
Emerson Avenue, Gloucester
