Letter: Grafton Food Bank seeks volunteers, support over holidays

Hello Grafton,

The Grafton Food Bank is open and serving our neighbors in need, due in large part to the generosity and compassion of so many Grafton residents. On behalf of those who utilize the services of the Grafton Food Bank, we thank you for your continued support through volunteering, food and personal product donations, as well as your generous monetary contributions.

The last twenty months have been challenging for us all as we navigate the new-and-ever-changing normal. We, with the assistance of our partners the Community Harvest Project and the Worcester County Food Bank, have met the needs of our town’s residents in a variety of ways during this time, always emphasizing communication and addressing their food concerns. Because our location at the Municipal Center was closed to the public, we offered drive-through pick up of groceries and produce; however, our primary way of handling food insecurity became the mailing of grocery gift cards which helped so many weather the darkest days of the pandemic. As you know, with the reopening of the Municipal Center in June, the Food Bank was happy to resume indoor food distributions since we strongly believe that our “food choice pantry” model offers our families the best opportunity to address their need for food and community.

The Grafton Food Bank has a large number of committed volunteers; we also have an increased number of families in need of our assistance. Because of Covid concerns and safety protocols, distributions are organized a bit differently;  hours have been extended and the number of people allowed in the building at one time is restricted. To accommodate this, we are in need of more daytime, in-person volunteers. To streamline our ordering and grocery order pick-ups, we are also in need of more volunteer drivers with SUVs or trucks. If you are able and interested in participating, please visit our website at https://www.graftonfoodbank.org/volunteer to download a volunteer application (please note, some volunteer activities require heavy lifting). We utilize a monthly sign up program so volunteer days and hours are flexible. Our location in the Municipal Center means our volunteer activities occur M-F when the building is open.

Grafton Food Bank families have signed up to receive the makings of a festive Holiday Dinner in both November and December; in addition, our families with children sign up for the Wish List program, and sponsors volunteer to support these families through the purchase of holiday gifts for their children. We believe these programs provide the opportunity to more fully celebrate and enjoy the holidays.

We remain committed to the mission of the Grafton Food Bank, but in order to fulfill this mission, we continue to need your assistance. Volunteers and financial support are vital. Your answer has always been “yes!”  We ask that again you say, “Of course!”  

We wish you and yours a safe and healthy holiday season.

Thank you,

The Grafton Food Bank Board of Directors