First
Parish Unitarian UniversalistSocial Action
Feed the Hungry | Donate to the Canton Food Pantry | Help Victims of Domestic Violence
For information on how to get involved, contact the First Parish office by phone (781-828-0296) or by email.
Volunteering with the Friday Night Supper Program at the Arlington Street Church in Boston
The Friday Night Supper Program (www.fridaynightsupper.org)
at the Arlington Street Church in Boston has been serving dinner to homeless and hungry people every Friday since 1984.
Would you like to dedicate two to three hours to volunteer with the Friday Night Supper Program? The program celebrated its 26th anniverary last spring. While funds keep coming in due to generous donations, the number of guests is growing, and more and more volunteers are needed to serve the food and provide a warm welcome to the guests.
Members of First Parish have participated for eight years. Please consider joining Buffy, Gisele, and Geppe and those who make up the teaam of volunteers we continue to send to Arlington Street Church on the fourth Friday of each month.
Our next date will be Friday, February 24. This will be our time to help from 5:00 - 7:30 PM.
To learn more about our work with the Friday night supper program, please take the monthly flyer on the Parish Hall table. You can also find more information at their website. "Volunteers help with meal serving, dishwashing in the kitchen, distributing clothing and toiletries, and they clean up at the end of the meal. All volunteers must wear closed toe flat heel shoes and tie up long hair. Volunteers are encouraged to engage in conversation with our guests to learn more about the people we serve."
You might also be interested in helping during the day. The FNSP is always in need of Friday daytime volunteers between the hours of 12 and 4 PM who can help the Kitchen Manager prepare the evening meal.
Canton Food Pantry
First
Parish has a special and historical relationship with the Canton Food Pantry In 1983, First Parish Minister, Rev. Anita
Farber-Robertson helped to found the Canton Help Line, which included valuable services such as the Canton Food Pantry.
Every year in February, we honor that relationship and ask parishioners to help us replenish the shelves in the Food
Pantry. The Food Pantry meets a critical need in the Canton community, particularly during these difficult times. It
is open on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings and currently serves more than 280 households, providing them with groceries
and basic toiletry items. Most people are regular visitors to the Pantry, although new families continue to come requesting
help.
Please remember that the Canton Food Pantry needs your help. 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 Volpe.
This month we are asking for donations of:
| Cereal Peanut butter Spaghetti sauce Pasta Baking goods |
Tuna Coffee Toothpaste Shampoo |
Diapers Feminine hygiene products Canned vegetables Jello/pudding |
Items may be dropped off at the following locations:
- Canton Food Pantry, 960R Washington St., (rear of Rodman Building) most Mondays 7 - 9 AM, and every Tues. 8:30 - 9 AM
- Canton Co-Operative Bank, 671 Washington St., Mon. - Fri., 9 AM - 5 PM
- Bank of Canton, 557 Washington St., Mon. - Fri., 9 AM - 5 PM
- Canton Public Library, 786 Washington St., Mon. 1 - 9 PM, Tues .- Thurs., 9:30 AM - 9:00 PM
- Pratt Realtors, 1475 Washington St., Daily 7 AM - 5 PM
The Pantry also relies on financial contributions. The money is used for discount purchases of food and household items. Any money donations are welcome, whether or not you are able to bring food/household items. Checks written to Canton Food Pantry with FPUU-Canton in the memo line can be placed in the Offertory or mailed to the church office. You can also purchase $10 gift cards from Shaws, Stop & Shop or Roche Brothers, put them in an envelope and place them in the Offertory or mail them to the church office.
Thanks to all of you for helping our larger community. We want to continue our tradition of generosity, so please join us in making this year's collection for the Canton Food Pantry our best ever!
Standing on the Side of Love to End Domestic Violence
Volunteer
opportunities at A New Day, Rape Crisis and Domestic Violence Services for People of All Genders
A New Day is a comprehensive, non-profit program providing services to victims of sexual assault and domestic violence. We are currently seeking volunteers for all aspects of our program.
- Answering the crisis hotline
- Assisting in our domestic violence shelter
- Providing medical and court advocacy
- Providing child care
- Assisting with fundraising activities
- Assist our multi-cultural staff
- Community organizing and mobilization
- Contribute your skills and talent
All volunteers will receive a comprehensive 35-hour training on the dynamics of sexual assault, domestic violence, and the effects of trauma. This training is offered twice per year and is free of charge for new volunteers. People of all genders are welcome to apply. Both day and evening opportunities are available.
Request for Donations
Please donate a bag of regular size toiletry items to welcome a new resident in Penelope's Place, the shelter for A New Day. Please contact Mary C. with any questions or concerns.