The Dedham Food Pantry would like to share the news about the unique, generous, and committed individuals and groups who fulfill our motto of “Neighbors Helping Neighbors.”

Writers are needed to photograph and interview volunteers about their roles with the pantry. Features will be 300 to 500 words and will be edited by board members.

Community service hours will be applied.

If interested contact: email Jan Murphy @ janinemurphy@verizon.net.

Click here to read the article.

Happy Holidays to all!

The Dedham Food Pantry has experienced a significant increase in the cost of food and the number of clients. However, the pantry does not receive any funds from the state or town. It depends entirely on donations.

We are extremely appreciative of all donations, no matter how big or small!

How to donate:

1) Call 781-326-2107 to pledge a donation during the telethon

2) Come to the telethon to make a live, on-air donation

3) Mail a donation to Dedham Food Pantry: P.O. Box 46 Dedham, MA 02027

And congratulations to the winning team “Let’s Eat” led by Beth Emery

Performers who may be interested in participating in the telethon should contact Lindsay Barich at: lindsayb@uwinc.com.  The performances will be filmed at the Dedham TV in advance on Sunday, November 20, 2011 from 10AM to 4PM.

We need a volunteer to decorate and gift wrap a large box to serve as a collection spot for the event.

We also need volunteers to pick up donations every Saturday morning from 11/19 thru 12/17.

Contact: janinemurphy@verizon.net.

The Greater Boston Food Bank orders can be picked up between Monday – Friday from 8:30 am – 3pm. The amount of time to complete the pickup and delivery to the pantry is usually 1 to 1.5 hours.

Pantry volunteers will be onsite at the pantry to help off-load the order. Volunteers should be able to lift 20 lbs. and have a large vehicle (i.e. full size SUV, van or pickup truck). Please contact Cindy at cindyb@uwinc.com or 781-467-8605 for more information.

We thank b.good for supporting the Dedham Food Pantry!

Associates of New York Life are having a bake sale on Monday  10/17/2011.  Proceeds from this event will be directed to the Dedham Food Pantry.

Stay tuned for more information!

• Sponsor/Organize a table of 10 participants for $300.00 @ $30.00 per ticket 
• Donate items for the raffle and auction
•  Make a gift in any amount

Click here to view the photos in facebook 

Click here to participate in our Volunteer Survey

Dedham Food Pantry’s Hosts Annual Volunteer Appreciation Night  

All  volunteers and supporters of the Dedham Food Pantry are cordially invited to join us on Wednesday, September 21^st from 7pm-9pm at the Dedham Community House, 671 High Street, Dedham.  We are extremely grateful for the time, resources and support that you have provided during this past year and it is now time for us to give back to you!  In addition to  food and refreshments, there will be a brief highlight of the past year’s events and installation of the new board of trustees.  Please RSVP to Cindy Barich at cindyb@uwinc.com or 781-329-0555.

Our motto is “Neighbors Helping Neighbors” and to learn more please visit www.dedhamfoodpantry.org.

Any questions please contact Lindsay at lindsayb@uwinc.com or call 781-706-0537

• Local Heroes Come to the Rescue (video)
• From Middle-Class to Food Pantry: Single Dad Sells Possessions to Feed His Family (video)
• 20 Million More Americans on Food Stamps
• Hunger at Home: Hiding the Pain and Learning Shame

To help the Dedham Food Pantry, donate or become a volunteer.

The above link is a great website to down load coupons which Dedham resident and pantry volunteer Lynn Mahoney created for viewers to receive daily “coupon deals” and has over 15,000 hits a day!  She is local mom who purchases numerous items such as cereal, ketchup and mayonnaise to name a few through coupon rebates for “free” and donates them to the pantry. This is also a great resource for anyone looking to check on which stores have weekly specials to “stock up” on certain items and save money.

Lynn recently explained how the coupon process works at the Dedham Food Pantry’s monthly meeting and she personally saves hundreds of dollars each month on her grocery shopping!

The pantry is looking to compile a coupon bin for all clients to utilize so please “Do Not” throw out your coupon flyers each week and drop them off at the food pantry.

The meeting is open to the public and learn how the pantry operates, recruits volunteers, fundraises, and receives donations while servicing the residents of Dedham.  Our motto is “Neighbors Helping Neighbors” and the pantry presently serves over 200 families each month and is 100 % volunteer based 501(3c) non profit organization with no paid employees.

Some items on the agenda are: Volunteer coordination/Survey, Fundraiser update, Treasurer report, and Annual meeting planning commitee formation.

There will be no meeting in August and September will be our 2nd Annual “VolunteerAppreciation” meeting with our general election of officers for the 2012 calender year. 

If anyone has any questions please feel free to contact our Co-President, Lindsay Barich at lindsayb@uwinc.com for further information.





Paul McManus the manager of the Norwood branch of Grainger Co. is seen here making a $5000 donation to Lindsay Barich, Co-President of the Dedham Food Pantry. Paul has been a tremendous help to our cause of helping residents in need to get additional food and toiletries a few times a month.

The Pantry serves over 200 families each month and is open to qualified residents to shop Saturday’s from 8:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

Benefiting the Dedham Food Pantry

5K Walk/Run on June 4th at 8:30 a.m. at St. Luke’s Church located at 950 East St., Dedham, MA.

The entry fee is 25 cans of food or $20.00 and to find out more please visit www.feedtheneed.org.

Medals for the top 3 finishers in each age group!

The first 100 registrants receive a free Feed the Need T-shirt

Please contact St. Luke’s Church for any questions or email Brian Rogal at BrianRogal@aol.com from the Dedham Food Pantry or you can  just show up the day of the race.

Location: Buildings and Grounds Building at Noble and Greenough

Dedham resident Mike Emery and his band “Split Risk” will be playing music at Sagra’s (right on Washington Street overlooking 128) on a Thursday night April 28.

Donations of non perisable food items and toiletries are welcome as well as any monetary donations.
So enjoy time with some friends, enjoy some drinks, and share some goodwill for a fun and relaxing evening in Dedham.

To get a sample of some of the music please visit the link below.

Here’s is a link to the band “Split Risk” known as “Boston’s Premiere Cover Band” to see and hear some of their music http://splitrisk.yolasite.com/.

Recently Stop & Shop store manager Rich Nolan, pictured above on the left donated a $4105 check to Lindsay Barich, Co-President of the Dedham Food Pantry as part of their “Food and Friends Program”. The contributions come from the Stop and Shop employees and patrons which are collected annually in conjunction with the Greater Boston Food Bank.

A special thanks goes out to Justin Cowley and Donna Greer of Dedham TV, along with their Board of Directors, staff, performers, and student volunteers, for hosting, producing and broadcasting the telethon.  Thanks to Maria Stephanos and Mark Ockerbloom of Fox 25 News for stopping by the studio that night.

We would also like to thank Brian Rogal of Rogal & Donnellan, P.C. Attorneys at Law of Norwood who donated the paper and printing of all our flyers, the Dedham Times for distribution of the inserts, and Steve Carlson owner of Moch Java for his generosity in donating coffee and hot cocoa many times last year!  I would also like to thank the Dedham Food Pantry Board of Trustees: Lynn Rogal, Bonnie McManus, Andrea O’Rourke, Cecilia Butler, Brian Rogal, Janine Murphy, and Cindy Barich for their many hours of “behind the scenes” help, support and encouragement.  We acknowledge the generosity of the telethon committee comprised of Justin Cowley, Kevin Loughran, Greg Agnew, Brian Keaney, Anne Maida, Jay Donahue, Paul Munchbach, Steve aka “Motor Mouth” for all their time and support with the planning and execution of this great community event.   Lastly, a large part of the success is due to our outstanding telemarketing committee consisting of Deb Cicerone, Beth Emery, Lisa Nosky, Beth Lewman, Libby Donahue, Lisa O’Connor, Jean May, Claire Cobb, and Traci Kelley.

The following businesses have generously donated to the telethon.  Please show your appreciation of their support by utilizing their products and/or services.  As always, the Dedham community shows tremendous support for the Dedham Food Pantry, and on behalf of the clients we serve, we are deeply grateful.

Sincerely,

Lindsay Barich, Co-President

Dedham Food Pantry

Please accept my sincere apologies if anyone is accidently omitted.

Inspired by the words of her minister, “Ending hunger means guaranteeing the regular availability of nutritious food to all people,” Corinne set about the business of forming a coalition to improve food security to her fellow townspeople.

Today the Pantry thrives with a broad range of support from near and far. It is with gratitude that we recognize the role that Corinne Myers Lewis played in laying such a strong foundation.

A celebration of her life will be held at First Church and Parish in Dedham, 670 High St. on April 16 at 2 p.m. Memorial gifts in her name can be made to Dedham Food Pantry, P.O. Box 46, Dedham MA, 02027.

HOLIDAY HARVEST TELETHON

TO BENEFIT THE

DEDHAM FOOD PANTRY  

(Commemorating it’s 20^th Anniversary)

SPONSORED BY DEDHAM TELEVISION

 THURSDAY, DECEMBER 9^TH

7:00 – 10:00 PM 

CALL 781-326-2107 TO PLEDGE A DONATION

~~OR~~

COME TO THE TELETHON TO MAKE A LIVE ON-AIR DONATION

   ~~OR~~

MAIL DONATION TO DEDHAM FOOD PANTRY, P.O. BOX 46, DEDHAM, MA 02027

WATCH FOR OUR SURPRISE CELEBRITY GUESTS!

IN THE PAST YEAR, THE PANTRY HAS EXPERIENCED A

SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF CLIENTS & INCREASE IN THE

COST OF FOOD. 

WE’RE “NEIGHBORS HELPING NEIGHBORS”

WE NEED YOUR HELP!

Watch on Channel 08 (Comcast) 40 (Verizon) or 15 (RCN)

Dedham Television

95 Eastern Avenue Dedham, MA 02026 781-326-2107 www.DedhamPublicTV.org Contact Lindsay Barich, 781-706-0537 – lindsayb@uwinc.com or www.dedhamfoodpantry.org

Dedham TV is sponsoring the telethon again this year and anyone interest in performing can contact Donna Greer or Justin Cowley for more information.

NORWOOD, Mass., — November 10, 2010 – National Amusements, Inc., a world leader in the motion picture exhibition industry operating more than 950 screens in the U.S., U.K., Latin America and Russia, kicks-off the 12th year of Holiday Classics, a five-week holiday program offering movie-goers free admission to a classic holiday film with a donation of a non-perishable food item to the Cinema DeLux at Legacy Place which will benefit the Dedham Food Pantry.
 
The program is particularly important this year because the economic downturn has caused demand for food aid to greatly increase, putting stress on food pantries to feed the hungry.  National Amusements patrons have contributed more than 100,000 pounds of food since the inception of the program in 1999. This year, the company challenges patrons to bring friends and neighbors to enjoy these classic films and to help increase the much-needed food supply.
 
The classic film series runs every Saturday at 10:00 am from November 20 to December 18 at select National Amusements theatres.  Guests should bring their non-perishable food items to the box office of their local theatre for free admission to the movie.
 
Following is the Holiday Classics film schedule:
 
November 20 – Disney’s A Christmas Carol (PG, 98 minutes)
November 27 – National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (PG-13, 97 minutes)
December 4 – It’s a Wonderful Life (NR, 129 minutes)
December 11 – Scrooged (PG-13, 101 minutes)
December 18 – White Christmas (NR, 120 minutes)
 
 The Pantry appreciates this kind gesture and we hope the community takes advantage of the great opportunity for families to enjoy these Holiday Classics!

When checking out cereal packages there are a few key items to look for.  Generally, the high fiber and low-added-sugar cereals are the best.  Read the Nutrition Facts label and try to pick a cereal that has less than 9 grams of sugar (cereals with dried fruit will have more sugar and that is okay!) per serving and more than 3 grams of fiber per serving.   Also, look for “Made with Whole Grains” on the box or ‘whole wheat’ or ‘whole grain’ on the ingredient list.  This means the cereal is less processed and has more fiber.  Try Kellogg’s All Bran Original, Cheerios, Life, Kellogg’s Special K Red Berries, Kashi GoLean Original or Quaker Instant Oatmeal Apple and Cinnamon. Any of these cereals with skim or 1% milk and a few berries or sliced bananas will add extra sweetness!  

Don’t like cereal but want a quick, healthy option? Try a whole grain English muffin with peanut butter!

 Bridget Mahoney, Simmons College

“NEIGHBOR’S HELPING NEIGHBORS”

VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION NIGHT

The Dedham Food Pantry cordially invites all volunteers, past, present and future, to join us at the Dedham Community House on September 15th at 7 pm for the Dedham Food Pantry Volunteer Appreciation Night.

We are extremely grateful for all the time, resources, and support that you have provided. Your donations, weekly volunteering, and your tremendous assistance with the move to our new location are truly valued and appreciated. The Food Pantry is able to assist the families of Dedham  because of your generous assistance.

Now it is time for us to give back to you! We will be serving food and refreshments and will highlight the main events of the past year and will give special thanks to you-to the individuals and groups that help the Dedham Food Pantry thrive.

Please feel free to bring guests and to bring any suggestions for improvement.  Our motto is Neighbors Helping Neighbors and we are honored to thank the best Neighbors anyone could ask for!

The Dedham Community House is located at 70 Bullard Street (the corner of Bullard Street and High Street) in Dedham Square. http://www.dedhamcommunityhouse.org/

Please RSVP (either way) to Cindy Barich at 781-329-0555 or via email cindyb@uwinc.com.

If you’re bringing guests please let us know the number of people in your group. If you’re unable to attend, but would like to receive emails about upcoming events, please let us know and we will happily add you to our email list!

Dedham, MA, (August 25, 2010) – The Grainger Foundation, Lake Forest, Illinois, has donated $5,000 to The Dedham Food Pantry in support of its mission to help end hunger within the community in which it serves.

“This donation helps us extend our mission of providing food to the hungry in Dedham,” said Lindsay Barich, Vice President, Dedham Food Pantry. “Our organization serves more than 200 local families. We are grateful to The Grainger Foundation for its generosity.”

This donation was recommended by Paul McManus, Branch Manager of W.W. Grainger, Inc.’s Norwood location. Grainger has been a part of the Norwood – Dedham business community for more than 30 years as the leading broad line supplier of maintenance, repair, and operating products. “We are proud to recommend the programs offered by The Dedham Food Pantry,” said McManus. “We understand the importance of partnering with organizations such as Dedham Food Pantry to help curb hunger in our area.”

The Grainger Foundation, established in 1949 by William Wallace Grainger, founder of W.W. Grainger, Inc., has provided substantive support to a broad range of organizations including museums and educational, medical, and human services institutions.

For further information about The Dedham Food Pantry contact:

Lynn Rogal, President 781-320-9442, phone, or Lindsay Barich, Vice President, cell# 781-706-0537

Save money with what you eat:

• Avoid Restaurants – eating at a restaurant can be an “on occasion treat”. Usually the choices are not the healthiest, the portions are out of control and it can be pretty pricey. Cooking at home can save you a lot of money, and you have more control over the ingredients you are feeding your body.

• Always make a grocery list and stick to it. The grocery list should be based on the planned meals you will have during the week – sit down and think about meals you would like to prepare of the week. Make sure your grocery list includes all of the ingredients you need to make all these foods. Factor in healthy snacks and things to pack in lunches for work or school. Take a look in your pantry or fridge before you make your list, you may have more ingredients than you think you do.

• Be willing to travel to the store with the lowest prices – When you get the store flyers on Friday afternoons, don’t throw them away, save them so that you can review them when time allows. If you are sitting with a cup of coffee look over the competing supermarkets and see which one offers you the best prices on foods you were planning to buy. 

• Don’t shop when you are hungry, you will be more likely to buy things that you really don’t need or want.

• Set a grocery budget – Take a look at your weekly finances and ask your self how much you can afford to spend on food. Once you set a price, stick to it!

• Eat food that is economical but also nutritionally sound. Some examples are beans, grains, fruits and vegetables that are in season and on sale.

• Use coupons! Although this can be time consuming, clipping coupons can result in significant savings. 

Fix up regular old fashion recipes by adding new ingredients.  Pancake mix fix up – Using regular ‘just add water’ pancake mix, adding these simple ingredients can make them more exciting, still keeping to your budget of course.

Blueberries
Strawberries
Bananas
Pineapple tidbits
Granola
Nuts
Chocolate chips
Shredded coconut
Dried fruit (raisins, cranberries)
Cinnamon
Vanilla extract
My Pantry – What you should always have on hand to save money in the long run. If you start out by doing one really big shopping trip and fill your pantry with these essentials, you will always have food/meals on hand and will save money in the long run.

You can use home cooked dried beans instead of canned beans in any recipe. They can stay in the refrigerator in an air tight container for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Bean and Tortilla Soup – this super cheap recipes cooks in about 30 minutes. Its authentic Mexican flavors will be a great surprise for a week night.

2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup red beans, already cooked (defrosted if frozen)
1 cup black beans, already cooked (defrosted if frozen)
1 can diced tomatoes
1 clove garlic, minced
¾ cup frozen corn kernels
2 tsp taco seasoning
1 can vegetable or chicken broth
1/3 cup Mexican blend cheese
2 cups crushed tortilla chips
Fresh lime
4 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Heat the oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add onion and allow cooking until tender. Add the red and black beans, the tomatoes with their juice, garlic and corn. Add the taco seasoning and stir to blend. Add the broth and simmer for 10 minutes. Serve with topping of crushed chips, squeeze of lime, 1 tablespoon cilantro and cheese.
Lentils and Rice – When you have the lentils on hand and already cooked, the recipe take about 15 minutes to prepare. A healthy, low fat and satisfying meal for a busy weeknight.

1 ½ cups long-grain rice
4 teaspoons olive oil
1 large onion
1 large green bell pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans or stewed tomatoes
1 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
3 cups lentils, already cooked (defrosted if frozen)
Salt and pepper to taste

Bring 3 cups of water to a boil in a medium sauce pan. Add the rice, stir, and reduce the heat to low. Cover the pan and simmer until rice is cooked, about 20 minutes.

In a skillet over medium heat, heat 2 tsp of oil. Add the onion and bell pepper stirring occasionally until tender. Add garlic, tomatoes and their juice, and the Italian seasoning in the skillet. When hot, add the lentils and the remaining 2 tsp on oil. Cook until lentils are heated through. Season with salt and black pepper and serve over the hot rice.

What to do with leftover white rice:

MAY 2010

 The Dedham Girl Scout Troop# 74589 recently donated 20 cases of Girl Scout Cookies to the Dedham Food Pantry.  We are very grateful to troop leaders Beth Lewman and Jodi Shair for organizing and donating the cookies!.  Pictured here are several members of the troop - Jacque, Samantha, Sidney, Karen, Olivia, and Alyssa – carrying in the cookies. On behalf of the DFP clients, THANK YOU!

Kings Lanes recently sponsored a night to honor 5 of the Dedham area non profit organizations by donating $2000 to each group.

The non profit organizations where the: Dedham Food Pantry, Dedham Square Cirlcle, Dedham Youth Little League, Mother Brook Neighborhood Alliance, and Dedham Community House.

The Dedham Food Pantry is very greatfull for this donation that will be used to purchase food for the many families in need.

This is another great example of “Neighbors Helping Neighbors” in the town of Dedham!

Lynn Rogal, President is seen here is Joshua Rossmeisl, G.Mgr. of Kings and Frank Stryjewski, COO of Kings

Once a month in our Westwood office, we have what we refer to as a Charitable Casual Friday.  For the privilege of dressing casual, you must donate $1.00 to charity.  Every month a different charity is chosen.  The charity chosen for the month of December 2009 was the Dedham Food Pantry.

 We hope this donation will help to provide some needed staples for the pantry.  The services that you provide for the community is so important, especially during these difficult financial times.  We thank you for all that you do and look forward to our continued partnership with the Dedham Food Pantry.

Andrea J. O’Rourke

Donations are still coming in from the original broadcast and the repeat airings are still making an impact on viewers watching and wanting to contribute to the food pantry!
The Dedham Food Pantry would like to thank all the volunteers, businesses, performers, donors, and the people that participated in the 2nd Annual “Holiday Harvest Telethon”!
A special “Thank You” goes out to Dedham Public TV that produced, directed, and sponsored the broadcast again this year.

Donations are still coming in from the original broadcast and the repeat airings are still making an impact on viewers watching and wanting to contribute to the food pantry!