 2010-2011 Board Members
Back row, L to R, Judy Bousquin, Joanne Cotton, Yvonne Blacker,
Mary Briggs, Marianne Supino,
Rosie McKenna, Cindy Hanshaw, Susie Cleary, Second Row, L to R, Marianne Snow, Dorothy Goodwin, Mary Taggart, Donna Hegan.
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Go out and make a difference in your community. You don't need endless time and perfect conditions. Do it now. Do it today. Do it for twenty minutes and watch your heart start beating. Barbara Sher
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Dear Friends,
On Monday, November 1st, we held our Second Annual Meeting. In addition to a review of 2009-2010, including our Treasurer's Report, we also outlined our plans for meeting our mission in the year ahead including the introduction of three new board members: Cindy Hanshaw of Stoneham, Joanne Cotton of Melrose and Donna Hegan of Lynnfield. We had a great turn out of family members, friends, volunteers and Food Pantry Respresentatives who shared some heartfelt stories.
Jane Good of the Wakefield Interfaith Food Pantry spoke about the impact your spare change collections have had. To date, Gathering Change, Inc., has donated over $11,000 to them. Now they are in a new location and can offer more choices of basic food items to their clients.
As important as it is to share in our success, and all you have done to make us your neighborhood charity, we are humbled by the relentless need for emergency food assistance.
On November 3, 2010, Project Bread released the following numbers from its upcoming Status Report on Hunger in Massachusetts.
- 615,000 people in Massachusetts are struggling to put food on the table. This is an 11 percent increase over the past year.
- 206,172 households in Massachusetts were food insecure, and nearly half of these households experience the the extreme condition, known as insecurity with hunger.
- Children face the brunt of the recession. The poverty rate for children has increased from 10 percent in 2007 to 13 percent in 2009.
- Unemployment continues to hover at nine percent and over 37,000 families faced foreclosure in 2010.
- Survey research of 11,000 low income families in health centers, conducted by Partners HealthCare and sponsored by Project Bread, revealed an astounding 11 percent screened positive for food insecurity with hunger...nearly three times the statewide average.
- When Seniors are hungry they are more likely to be hospitalized and to have chronic conditions.
The act of what we do comes from knowing how many around us are in need. Share this information with a friend and see if they might be willing to donate their spare change.
Thank you for your continued support!
Gratefully,
Dorothy Goodwin, President
P.S. Copies of our Annual Report 2009-2010 are available upon request: dgoodwin@gatheringchangeinc.org or call me at 617-548-5357.
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Reminder:
We offer In Memory and In Honor of Donation cards. These cards are free of charge. Contact us at:
dgoodwin@gatheringchangeinc.org
Tel: 617-548-5357
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What's in your closet?
In addition to collecting What's in your pocket? We are also collecting What's in your closet? Please consider donating any unwanted clothing, including shoes and coats.
Call 617-548-5357 to schedule a pick up.
*Please be sure they are clean!
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Thank you to ...
Cheryl Webb Scott for your time and generosity in completing our first PSA!
The DiOrio Family for including us in your recent Halloween Party!
Earnst and Young for including us in your Annual Employee Giving Campaign.
Bank of America for matching employee donations.
Stephanie Klove for all you do on our behalf!
The following businesses for your continued support: Taggart Art Studios, Melaleuca, Wakefield Physical Therapy, Louise's Skin Care, The Chocolate Truffle, Lynnfield, Reading and Winchester.
The entire Board of GCI, for your continued efforts to keep our neighborhood food pantry shelves stocked and our hearts open.
A special thank you to Jean Santosuosso who is leaving our board after serving two years as our Secretary. You will be missed!
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Mission Statement
Gathering
Change, Inc., is a grassroots charitable organization that collects
spare change from our homes, schools, faith communities and businesses.
Our mission is to meet the immediate basic needs of citizens within our cities and towns who cannot achieve this goal alone. The funds are
distributed back into our local food pantries and social programs.
Gathering Change, Inc., gives everyone the opportunity to participate
by sharing their abundance, thereby fostering a sense of
interconnection, care and well-being throughout our neighborhoods. |
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