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" Merry Christmas To All "
Despite torrential rains, spirits were high as almost 100 clients
poured into Community Hall to gather their Xmas bags. Storesmaster Dick handed out turkeys and hams and all the bags were topped
off with beautiful cookie plates, courtesy of Rita Ylen and her helpers- the Jazzercise ladies; co-workers at the Physicians
Surgery Center; Lisa Hartman and GS Troop This is the second year Rita has gifted the food bank with cookies. Then those
great people from the German Butcher store (Irmagard and Wolfgang seen here) sent over 200 pounds of ground beef, a welcome
treat for all. Add the pies and cakes donated by ShopRite and it added up to a great holiday offering. Thanks to all of our
volunter "Santas" for their hard work in packing and transporting over 200 bags as well as Dick's "take me" store
items. And to the guys from the DPW, thanks a lot for your help - we'll see you next month !
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| Will the real Santa please come forth? |
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| A Community Caring, by Sharing ! |
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| The Pie Lady |
THE ELVES WERE BUSY THIS DAY ! WHILE BRUCE RAN OVER TO THE
GERMAN BUTCHER TO PICK UP THEIR DONATION(AND TAKE PICTURES, OTHERS WERE AT SHOPRITE GETTING THE PIES AND CAKES. NEW
VOLUNTEER, MARY HILL, WAS THEN DESIGNATED THE "PIE LADY" FOR THE DAY. BELOW, A LAST MINUTE CHECK BEFORE THE DOORS OPEN.
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| A-lotta-bags-for-sure!!! |
Who is this woman? And just what is
that
she is giving the Chairman?
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| Debbie Edgecomb, Chairman Guy & the BIG check ! |
On Wednesday, November 27, Debbie Edgecomb, representing
the Ocean First Bank Foundation, arrived at the Food Bank with a LARGE grant check. This grant was our very first, an
exciting event for sure. Because of the generosity of Ocean First, we are now able to start giving out
$10. food certificates every month, a goal we have had for a long time and one much needed by the clients who now
number over 200. From all of us at the Lacey Food Bank to all of you at the Ocean First Foundation, thank you from the bottom
of our hearts. Somehow it seems so appropriate that this gift arrived the day before Thanksgiving.
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| Food Bankers Admiring the Check |
Here's our gang, braving cold winds and temperatures to accept the donation of
$5,000 . From left to right are: Debbie Edgecomb, Ocean First Bank; Lois Guthrie, Guthrie Financial Services and food bank
trustee; Guy Burnett, Chairman of Food Bank; Al Bille, director of ground traffic control; Ziggie Zwierchowski, Embassador
to the Township Committe; and Ralph Lanuto, liason to clubs and organizations. Behind the camera, and therefore not shown is
Bruce McGahey, our I.D.
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| Seniors Plus Kids = Inter-Generational ! |
Well, our student friends from the Middle School,
along with Senior members of the Inter-Genational Club did it again ! Take a look at the pile of food (below) Just
in time for Xmas giving, it was a welcome addition to our supplies. We thank advisors Linda Devlin and Linda Cerino for
their help in running the annual student food drive for the food bank which took place over a three day period.
Take note of the big trailer behind the group which
is the BIG news of the month. The food bank has undergone temporary re-location into two of these trailers which will be on
site at the old MUA building parking lot for the next six months or so while the building is undergoing renovation. Because
of restricted space, distribution will be held at Community Hall.
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| Middle School Students bring us food! |
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Rotary & Lacey High School Inter-Act
Club Come -
Bearing Turkeys !
Lots of turkeys- over 90 in fact- plus
all the fixings, due to the efforts of Leo Tierney, Rotary's Director of Community Service and Lacey High School
Interact club advisors Julie Anne Pignatora and Linda Cerino. And with all those young, eager extra hands, things
went smoothly, despite the Food Bank's temporary re-location to storage trailors, which made it necessary to use Community
Hall for distribution this month. Now THIS, you can imagine, involved a lot of hauling, lugging and moving food for
the regular distribution as well as the Thanksgiving offerings from the Rotary. Thanks to DPW head (and pal to the food
bank) Casey Parker, we got everything over to Community Hall. And with Miss Dorothy doing overtime phone work
we were able to reach everybody to tell them of the change in location. In all a great day and a lot of happy people. We would
like to thank the Rotary Club for their wonderful gift , something they do for us annually, and the students and
food bank volunteers for the help in getting it all done.
Happy Thanksgiving to all !
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| Lacey High School Interact Club with advisors JulieAnne Pignatora & LInda Cerino |
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| Jr. Rotarians on the move ! |
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| A Mountain of Turkeys... |
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| Oh yes, many hands DO make light work |
ALL OF US AT THE LACEY FOOD BANK WOULD LIKE TO WISH OUR FRIEND AND CO-WORKER, ZIGGIE ZWIERCHOWSKI
& HIS WIFE TERRY A VERY HAPPY
50TH ANNIVERSARY
THE BEST IS YET TO COME !
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VOLUNTEER NEWS
November's work was made easier by the addition of three new volunteers,
Virginia Lazareth, Rita Carey and Rosemary Mason.
Welcome aboard ladies. Also, the Chairman announced the promotion of
Al Bille to Director of Ground Traffic Control.
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AMER-GEN HOLDS FLU SHOT & FOOD DRIVE !
AMER-GEN EMPLOYEES AT OYSTER
CREEK "GOT 'N GAVE". THEY GOT A FLU SHOT IN RETURN FOR GIVING A FOOD GIFT TO US. A REAL WIN-WIN
SITUATION. WE THANK THE EMPLOYEES FOR THEIR GENEROSITY WITH SPECIAL THANKS TO NANCY ERICKSON ,
WHO ORGANIZED THE EVENT.
AARP CHAPTER # 1327 HOLDS FOOD DRIVE MEETING
STORESMASTER DICK SANSONE WAS DELIGHTED WHEN HE WAS INVITED TO COME TO COLLECT THE PROCEEDS OF A FOOD DRIVE HELD DURING THE REGULAR
MONTHLY MEETING. WITH EACH MEMBER BRINGING JUST ONE OR MORE CANS OR PACKAGES, THEY WERE ABLE TO SEND
HIM ON HIS WAY WITH ARMLOADS OF FOOD. THE VOLUNTEERS AT THE FOOD BANK APPRECIATE THE THOUGHTFULNESS OF OUR SMALL LACEY COMMUNITY
IN PROVIDING FOR OUR LESS FORTUNATE NEIGHBORS.
WE COULD NOT DO IT WITHOUT YOU.
THE LACEY COMMUNITY DOES "CARE & SHARE"
AND SOMETIMES IN THE MOST CREATIVE WAYS. VFW POST 1108 HELD A PICNIC RECENTLY . ADMISSION AND FOOD WERE FREE WITH ONLY ONE
STIPULATION - EVERYONE ATTENDING WAS ASKED TO BRING A CONTRIBUTION TO THE FOOD BANK. THE RESULT? A PICKUP TRUCK OVERFLOWING
WITH GOOD WILL, FOOD AND $165. TO BOOT. THANKS GUYS....
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| GOT TUNA ? |
GOT TUNA? WE DO, THANKS TO THE WOMAN'S CLUB WHO HELD A "TUNA FISH " MEETING IN SEPTEMBER. OVER 100 CANS OF TUNA WERE TURNED IN BY
THE MEMBERS, AN EXAMPLE OF YET ANOTHER CREATIVE GIFT FROM THE LACEY COMMUNITY. THANKS TO ALL OF YOU AND TO BETTY MILLER " BEST WISHES FOR A FULL RECOVERY."
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| Get Well Alma ! |
ALL OF US AT THE LACEY FOOD
BANK JOIN IN SENDING OUR WISHES FOR A SPEEDY RECOVERY TO ALMA BLAIR, AN ORIGINAL ORGANIZER AND FIRST CHAIRPERSON
OF THE FOOD BANK.
WOBM'S BOB & MARYANN
BUILD US A PYRAMID
We're
ruthless when it comes to feeding the "baby birds", so in the midst of a peanut butter & jelly crisis,
we sent on a flier to WOBM's morning talk show hosts, Bob & MaryAnn Levy with the hope that they might give us a
plug. Well, they did much more than that - a fifteen minute segment to be exact, which they then repeated a second day.
The total haul for less than a week? 93 jars of pj& jelly - when usually we receive only 3 or 4 weekly. We learned that
it sure is nice to have friends in high places and from all of us to both Bob & Maryann as well as their WOBM's
listeners who have heart , we thank you. (who was that nice man who filled an entire bag with pj&jelly and left
it in the big blue can? hmmm..)
LACEY DAY 2002
Here we are, under the shelter of Shop Rite's hospitable
tent. And we sure needed the shade with the temperature hitting the mid nineties. The GOOD news is that we met so many
great people, got to distribute our new fliers and were the beneficiaries of the proceeds of ShopRite's face painting and
spin art business....... Many thanks to the volunteers who, despite the crushing heat, turned out in full force...Ziggie,
Dick, Guy, Howard, Rose , Al , Ralph, Sally, Gerry, Ann and new teen volunteer Rebecca Scalia. And most of all, a big cheer for ShopRite's Community Affairs
Liaison, who worked her heart out to make this a success and who was a great hostess. Thanks, Jennifer McMahon !
And for those of you who had hoped to meet Miss Dorothy, the voice of the
Food Bank, please take note, her spirit was willing but chairman Guy wasn't about to subject her to the heat. So
it'll have to be next time !
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| This booth is rocking ! |
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| Guy & Dick flank their beloved barrel ! |
August: Lacey Food Bank gets a monthly
delivery from Monmouth Ocean Food Bank, our "mother" bank. As part of their larger network, we get to buy certain food
and non food items for much less than cost, and some items are free. Shown here is their wonderful new truck, donated by singer
Bon Jovi. Sure wish we had a mini version- maybe a used van or pickup truck?
| Our "Mother" Bank's Delivery Truck |
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Here's Dick, checking out the pallet.
No, we don't get a whole truckload, it just feels that way to the good old boys who
run this place and move, store & pack it all. Wonder if Monmouth\Ocean would
leave behind that strong young driver?
10th Annual US Postal Service Drive Held
Saturday, May 11th, saw Storesmaster
Dick (far right) rubbing his hands with glee. Judging by the size of the load on the truck the "boys" had their work cut out
for them. Shown by our loaner truck , courtesy of Casey Parker are: Rotarian Doug Ruhlin with his son Dennis, Chairman
Guy, DPW driver Wayne Ross & the storesmaster. Also helping was Rotarian Barry Cerino. The one thing that makes volunteer
work at the food bank so rewarding is the outpoaring of help as well as food donations from the community. Thanks to all of
you and thanks to the Lakehurst\Manchester postal workers who make the time in their busy day to collect and bring in the
food. The Postal Drive, by the way is the largest effort of it's kind in the United States, if not the world.
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| Lots of work to do ! |
Inter-Generational Club Visits Food Bank !
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| Ziggie and Dick, (left) Club members (right) |
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| The kids sorting or "Many Hands Make Light Work " |
The Inter-Generational Club visited
us this month with a bus load of food. The club members include students and seniors
working together for the betterment of the community. Not only did they gift us with the food, but they stayed to sort it out and put it away. Much appreciated by
the food bank volunteers and their aching backs !
All of us at the Lacey Food Bank
Wish our comrade and fellow volunteer
Bruce McGahey a speedy recovery !
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Easter came early this month as all the clients received a ham or turkey
in addtion to their monthly supply of staple goods. Girl Scout Troop 477 provided the special treats shown
BIG BLUE GETS A FACELIFT!
NOTICING THAT THE FOOD BANK BARRELS OFTEN
BECAME A TRASH BIN, VOLUNTEER BRUCE McGAHEY APPLIED HIS WOOD WORKING SKILLS AND CAME UP WITH AN ALMOST TRASH PROOF CONTAINER.
STORESMASTER DICK IS ESPECIALLY APPRECIATIVE, BEING THE ONE WHO HAD TO HANDLE ALL THOSE TRASHY "SURPRISES"
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| Shop Rite manager Rick checks out Big Blue! |
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| This little guy gets help from Mom in making his first donation to the food bank. |
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