Think Spring and what is a better harbinger of Spring but thinking about gardening?  The 2012 season was an amazing success in our new garden! We harvested over 4000 pounds of vegetables between May and November and our clients were thrilled to have such wonderfully nutritious choices. This year we hope to increase production to provide even more fresh produce to our clients and we're looking for more volunteers to make that happen in the upcoming season! Look below for the article listing gardening opportunities    Save the date!!!!     Join us at the lovely Wychmere Beach Club on May 31st from 6-9P.M. for the Second Annual Summer Gala.   This is the pantry's premier fundraising event thanks to the leadership of Tom and Shelly O'Neill (pictured above with U.S. Representative William Keating at last year's Gala). Save the date cards have been sent to our major donors and invitations will be sent to them in April but we want to be sure that everyone knows it is open to anyone who would like to attend. Last year's event was a major success. It was a beautiful night, the food was exquisite and you can't beat the view of Wychmere Harbor. Watch for further details on the event including ticket prices but for now save the date! Pictured below are longtime pantry supporters Dennis and Dolores Picard enjoying last year's event.         Second Glance Celebrates its Sixth Anniversary  Come and shop at Second Glance, the upscale thrift shop of The Family Pantry of Cape Cod. We are currently having a huge sale - 75% off everything but jewelry!!!!! This is in honor of our anniversary. Second Glance opened 6 years ago in a small storefront on Cross Street and moved into larger space at 563 Main Street in Harwich Port in 2011. Second Glance is managed by a great team of volunteers and all proceeds go back to support The Family Pantry of Cape Cod which is the largest pantry on Cape Cod that is open to anyone in need. In 2012 we served 9,266 people! So stop into Second Glance, find some great bargains and know that you are helping to support your neighbors in need.     Volunteer Service Anniversary Party   In April The Board of Directors will be hosting the third annual Volunteer Service Anniversary Luncheon.  The Board has invited all Volunteers who completed 5, 10, 15 or 20 or more years of service to the pantry by the end of 2012 to celebrate at a lovely luncheon at The Chatham Wayside Inn.   Volunteers are the heart and soul of the pantry and we simply could not fulfill our mission of providing food and clothing to those in need without them. We currently are fortunate to have 300 dedicated regular volunteers and another 100 who work on an occasional basis or for a specific project.   Please congratulate the following honorees and look for some pictures in the next newsletter:   20 years or more: Denny Duggan, Elizabeth Duggan, Mary Eagan, Carol Ann Gallo, Bob & Joanne Greene, Helen Marsden, George & Mary Morris, Gene & Joan Kirk, Joan Shea & Mary Sullivan   15 years: Paul Gallagher, Jeanette Lynch & Jo Molnar   10 years: Sue & Tom Granai, Rich Graveline & Mary Kocot   5 years: Mary Alice Badenbaugh, Emily Barrett, Laurie Callaghan, Karen Campbell, Eleanor & Bob Casey, Lorraine Cowhey, Peggy Devaney, Fran Donovan, Adeline Harrington, Susan Harrington, Pat Hirtle, Betty Ann Holman, Blanche Hunnewell, Hank Jensen, Kathleen Kelly, Margaret Kirker, Joanna McInerney, Ralph Porter, Joan Thompson, Maureen Ullman, Eileen & Jack Wyatt.     Greater Boston Food Bank's Legislative Breakfast          Several Legislators as well as pantry representatives from Massachusetts attended the breakfast meeting to hear Catherine D'Amato, President & CEO of The Greater Boston Food Bank speak about the need for increased MEFAP (Massachusetts Emergency Food Assistance Program) funding. The current level is $12M for food and $1M for administration and the request for next year is $15M for food and $1M for administration. Mayor Menino (pictured with Catherine) was on hand to welcome people to the City of Boston. The MEFAP food that we receive from this program is a huge benefit to The Family Pantry of Cape Cod , helping us to provide food to over 1,000 families each month.   Garden Volunteers Needed         Garden Workers: Garden volunteers help with manual garden tasks including preparing beds, planting, watering, harvesting, weeding, general garden upkeep, closing the garden for the season. We are looking for groups and individuals to help between June and October. Shifts are available from 8:30 am-12 pm on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.   Garden Management: We are looking for additional members of the garden committee to expand its knowledge base. Committee members are in charge of a specific aspect of the garden. Possible responsibilities include planning planting, overseeing volunteers, and tracking harvest and volunteers. We hold monthly meetings to review garden progress and plan for the upcoming months. The committee meets year round, with an emphasis on March - November.    Please contact Patty Watson at 508-432-6519  or pwatson@thefamilypantry.com if interested.      Help us with the Feinstein Challenge  For several years the Alan Feinstein Foundation has distributed a million dollars to anti-hunger agencies and The Family Pantry of Cape Cod will be one of those agencies again this year! The way this works is we keep track of donations during the months of March and April and report it to the Feinstein Foundation who then makes proportional grants to the agencies who participated. It is a great way to increase awareness about hunger. So thank you for helping us receive a part (admittedly a small part!) of that million dollars! For more information check out www.feinsteinfoundation.org Our Hours of Operation  Tuesday 10-3:30 Thursday 10-noon, 1:30-3:30 & 5-7PM Saturday 10-noon    Sincerely,   Mary Anderson Executive Director The Family Pantry of Cape Cod  133 Queen Anne Road Harwich, MA 02645 508-432-6519 manderson@thefamilypantry.com    

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