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Serving the South Shore since 1947, Interfaith’s roots of service and compassion are planted deep within the soil of our community. This year Interfaith’s Thrift Shop and Food Pantry programs are both celebrating their 40^th anniversary. This legacy of service has been made possible by countless donors, volunteers and dedicated staff members over the years. We thought we’d take this opportunity to look back at almost seventy years of helping our neighbors in need…

In the mid-1940s one of the largest employers in Greater Boston was the Quincy Shipyard. Many of World War II’s warships were built there. However, as the war drew to a close so did the shipyard’s production. Over a short time period, thousands of employees were laid off, resulting in crises for many local families. Within their congregations local religious leaders saw the poverty and social problems that these struggling families were confronting. They wanted to do something more to help them. This desire resulted in the formation of what would come to be known as Interfaith Social Services. The group was initially called Protestant Community Services and was established in 1947 to help all Quincy families who had fallen on hard times. Congregations worked together providing families with emergency assistance and hope.

By 1957 the organization had expanded its service area to include ten South Shore communities and changed its name to Protestant Social Service Bureau (PSSB). Throughout the 1970’s the organization operated various group homes for young men who were wards of the state. During this time period the agency’s adoption program was created to help find homes for older children, sibling groups, and disabled children who desperately desired permanent, loving homes. A key component to working with this population was addressing their mental health needs and those of other community members.  Although the program wouldn’t be named The New Directions Counseling Center until 1982, since its inception mental health counseling has always been a vital program within Interfaith Social Services.

1975 was an important year in Interfaith’s history. Facing pressure from a significant public funder the organization was forced to choose between merging with a similar organization in Boston or losing a substantial amount of funding. The board of directors choose to forge their own path. That year they organized the first South Shore Walk fundraiser. They opened the Bureau Drawer Thrift Shop, and the Pantry Shelf emergency food program opened its doors for the first time.

The pantry began in a 5’x 8’ closet and was originally staffed with one volunteer. Today, Interfaith’s Pantry Shelf food pantry is one of the largest emergency food programs in Greater Boston. It is staffed by two part time staff members, one full time volunteer, and hundreds of other volunteers who distribute almost 1,000,000 lbs. of food to over 17,000 people annually.

Throughout the 1980’s The HomeShare project matched single seniors living alone with persons seeking a room in exchange for services, room and board. The organization opened several group homes for seniors during this time period to address the unmet regional need for senior housing.

In the late 1990’s the HomeSafe program was launched as a way to prevent Homelessness and to provide emergency assistance to local families in need. The first Feed the Hungry Gala fundraiser was also held during this time period at the Company Theater in Norwell. Since then the Gala has grown to become one of Interfaith’s most important fundraisers as well as being one of the premiere social events for Greater Boston and Massachusetts’ South Shore regions.

In 1998 Protestant Social Service Bureau changed their name to reflect the fact that its support, volunteers and staff were not officially affiliated with any faith based institutions. The board of directors wanted to honor the organization’s roots in the faith community; as such they choose the name Interfaith Social Services. Operating as a nonreligious organization, the organization continued to pursue its mission of “…strengthening family life and offering assistance to anyone in need.”

That same year Interfaith’s various group homes closed as affordable senior living options became available in the region. The next year, 1999, Interfaith’s Career Closet program opened to provide professional clothing to women reentering the workforce. Ten years later the program was expanded to serve male and female job seekers.

In 2000 The Food Pantry’s Easter Basket and Help for the Holidays adopt-a-family programs were created to assist food pantry clients who could not provide holiday gifts for their children. These seasonal initiatives have grown substantially over the past two decades.  Volunteers now distribute 300+ Halloween costumes to the children of food pantry clients each year, 350 Easter Baskets, 700+ backpacks full of school supplies, 600+ children receive Christmas gifts and 800+ households receive Thanksgiving meal baskets.

In 2000, Interfaith’s adoption program was closed due to chronically delayed funding from the state.

In 2003 Interfaith purchased the 105 Adams Street building, which currently houses our offices, allowing the organization to consolidate all of our programs under one roof.

In an effort to provide more fresh produce to food pantry clients Interfaith launched the Harvest Helpers program in 2009. That year staff and volunteers planted a garden at Interfaith’s offices and began encouraging the donation of fresh fruits and vegetables to the food pantry.

In 2011 The Learning Pantry program was launched to educate food pantry clients about a variety of life skills including: financial literacy, nutrition and addiction recovery.

In 2013 The HomeSafe Program launched an ongoing budget counseling initiative for housing assistance clients, over 493 households were served by the new initiative that year.

Throughout 2014-15 various building improvement projects were conducted at Interfaith’s offices including: the installation of a new roof, new windows, stucco resurfacing, new flooring for the Thrift Shop and Counseling Center, extensive heating repairs, a new hot water heater and septic pump as well as additional refrigerators, freezers and shelving for the food pantry.

These repairs and improvements to Interfaith’s facilities, along with the community’s ongoing donations of time and funding, will make it possible for Interfaith to continue serving clients for many years to come. Just as we have for the past seven decades.

 

 

 

 

Karen Partridge of South Boston is one of Interfaith’s amazing volunteers. She is a nurse who loves helping people. About a year ago Karen went online to look for a volunteer opportunity where she could meet similar people who care about helping others as much as she does. She stumbled across Interfaith’s webpage. After reading about Interfaith online, Karen decided to call our volunteer coordinator Paula Daniels to set up a meeting. After discussing Interfaith’s various outlets for service Karen decided the Food Pantry would be the best fit for her. Over the past year she worked in the food pantry one day a week and has become an integral member of her team.  She also helps to coordinate signups for Interfaith’s various Holiday Help Programs. Karen enjoys working with her fellow volunteers, and believes that she has made great friends. “It’s wonderful to help people and make a difference. It’s not only great for the volunteers, but for the community.” Originally from London, England, Karen admits that she is a bad Brit and doesn’t drink tea. She encourages anyone to volunteer at Interfaith. “I even enjoy driving to Interfaith’s offices, knowing I’ll help people that day.”

On Thursday, August 6th we hosted our annual Volunteer Appreciation Night. This event is a celebration to honor our volunteers who have donated their time to serve Interfaith and thousands of our neighbors in need in the past year. Almost 100 volunteers attended the event which included a delicious, authentic BBQ dinner catered by Smokey Stax BBQ and a fun trivia game. We also inducted 43 volunteers into The Matti Lang Volunteer Hall of Fame. The Matti Lang Volunteer Hall of Fame is named after one of Interfaith’s most dedicated volunteers who gave decades of his life selflessly serving Interfaith’s clients. The honor of being inducted into the Hall of Fame is bestowed upon those volunteers who have been serving within the organization regularly for at least one year. Congratulations to this year’s inductees and thank you to all of our amazing volunteers!

Special thank you to our event sponsors: BMC HealthNet Plan, South Shore Elder Services and Smokey Stax BBQ

 

 

From July 2014 to June 2015 Interfaith’s food pantry distributed 855,674 pounds of food to our community. These groceries fed hungry children, put food on the tables of struggling families and assisted many seniors trying to survive on a fixed income. So, where does almost one million pounds of food comes from? Let me tell you….

This past year Interfaith received 429,805 pounds of food from the Greater Boston Food Bank, 50% of the total distributed by our pantry. The Food Bank, located right off of I93 in Boston, is the region’s emergency food distributer. The food we receive from the Food Bank includes donations from The Federal Government, food purchased by The State of Massachusetts and donations from businesses. Interfaith pays the food bank a shared maintenance fee, per pound, for all of the food we collect which was donated to them businesses and other vendors. We pay this fee because the Food Bank needs to transport and store all of that food until it can be distributed to organizations like us. That is why the majority of Interfaith’s annual food budget is paid to The Food Bank.

5% of Interfaith’s food pantry groceries, 35,016 pounds, come from community donations = school food drives, ingatherings from houses of worship, etc. We are so grateful for the generosity that our community shows each year by making these donations. It is heartwarming to see so many people walk into our offices with donated bags of groceries to help feed their neighbors in need. We admire all of those parents who bring their children with them and use the donation as a teaching opportunity.

Ever wonder what happens to your supermarket’s leftover rotisserie chickens at the end of day? How about the day old bread, baked goods, cheese, sandwiches, etc. ? Hopefully, those products are being donated to an emergency food program like Interfaith’s food pantry. This year supermarkets and restaurants donated 385,250 pounds of food to Interfaith Social Services; 45% of the food distributed by our pantry last year came from these community partners. These products are called “salvage” food because if it weren’t for Interfaith’s intervention they would have been headed to the landfill or the compost facility. Our team of staff and volunteers package, transport, sort, bag and distribute this perfectly good food to our pantry clients. We like to view this process as more of a food rescue mission than a salvage mission.

The supermarkets’ cooperation in this food rescue program is incredible. They don’t want to see the food go to waste any more than we do. The managers from these stores are truly committed to feeding the hungry and we applaud their efforts. So, the next time you are in your local supermarket ask a manager what food pantry their store partners with and thank them for their efforts.

The majority of our food comes from the Food Bank, our community and local supermarkets. However, one problem with these food sources is that we have very little control over what is donated. Over the past few years we have made an increased effort to distribute more fruits and vegetables to our clients. Last year we purchased 5,603 pounds of produce from a local produce wholesaler. We expect that number to increase this year, but it is expensive. We constantly encourage donations of fresh produce from the community. That is why we organize the Harvest Helpers program each spring and summer with our partner Keohane Funeral homes. The program encourages people to grow vegetables in their gardens and then donate it to local food pantries.

Distributing 855,674 pounds of food in one year is an incredible accomplishment; however, it wouldn’t have been possible without all of our donors and volunteers. Last year 866 people volunteered within Interfaith’s various programs. They gave 23,990 hours of service assisting clients, answering phones, sorting clothes, helping customers, organizing fundraisers and more. They are the heroes in this story; donors who freely give of their time and money make it possible for Interfaith to fulfill its mission.

Now you know where all of Interfaith’s food comes from, you know the facts behind the distribution of 855,674 pounds of food in one year. However, we encourage you will look beyond those numbers because they signify a lot more than just pounds of food to us. They are meals for hungry families. They represent hope and peace of mind for individuals living in some difficult situations. Remember, they aren’t just “volunteers” do all of this work; they are amazing people like John Dunner, Charlene Manning and others. The faces behind each number here at Interfaith are the motivation for everything that we do.

 

[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]https://interfaithsocialservices.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Staff-Rick.jpg[/author_image] [author_info]This article was written by Rick Doane. Rick is the Executive Director of Interfaith Social Services. He is a South Shore native, pop culture enthusiast, family man and devout Mormon with a passion for serving those in need.[/author_info] [/author]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interfaith Social Services’ food pantry serves about 500 school-age children each month. Every summer we ask our community to team up with us to make sure that each of those children has the supplies needed to start the year off right in September.

We ask for donations of pre-packed backpacks, rather than individual supplies. Two types of backpacks are needed – one for grades K-5 and another for grades 6-12. Backpack distribution will start on Monday, August 3rd. Therefore, all backpacks with supplies will need to be dropped off at our office by Friday, July 31st.

Although it seems as though summer has just begun, Interfaith only has a short time to make sure that we’ll have enough backpacks to help all of the children who will visit our food pantry throughout the month of August when backpacks will be distributed.

ALL backpacks should include: spiral notebooks or composition notebooks, 2 pocket folders, #2 pencils and pink pearl erasers

For the grades K-5 backpacks, we suggest including: washable markers, colored pencils, crayons, glue sticks and safety scissors

For the grades 6-12 backpacks, please include: a calculator, index cards, highlighters, a three ring binder, a flash drive and pens

Please label each bag by grade level to expedite the distribution process. Please make the labels large and easy to read.

If you have questions please contact Karen Ukraine at kukraine@interfaithsocialservices.org or call her at 617-773-6203 x19. 

Donated backpacks can be dropped off at our food pantry from 8:30am -4:00pm Monday – Friday and until 7:00pm on Tuesdays.

 

QUINCY, Mass. – July 14, 2015 — Interfaith Social Services, a multiservice center for South Shore families in need, today announced that the Arbella Insurance Foundation and WalMart have each committed to $25,000 sponsorships of the 18th annual Feed the Hungry Gala. This is the second year in a row both companies have served as the Gala’s Presenting Level sponsors.

“We are incredibly grateful to Arbella Insurance and Walmart for their partnership with Interfaith Social Services as we work together to help local families in need,” said Rick Doane, executive director of Interfaith Social Services. “While last year’s Gala was a record-setting fundraiser to support Interfaith’s programs, we also saw increased demand from our community for food, counseling and emergency assistance. We hope that more local businesses than ever will join with Interfaith, Arbella Insurance Foundation, Walmart, and our other partners as we fight against hunger here on the South Shore. We need everyone’s help in serving our neighbors who are struggling to make ends meet.”

This year’s Feed the Hungry Gala will be held at Granite Links Golf Club in Quincy on Friday, December 4. Proceeds raised at the Gala allow Interfaith Social Services to feed, clothe and comfort more than 20,000 local residents each year through programs that include budget counseling and homelessness prevention, mental health counseling, professional clothing for low-income job seekers, and one of Greater Boston’s largest emergency food pantries.

“We are so proud to support the 18th Annual Feed the Hungry Gala, and to honor Interfaith’s outstanding service to so many of our South Shore neighbors,” said Beverly Tangvik, president of Arbella Insurance Foundation. “As a long-time supporter of Interfaith Social Services, the Foundation is thrilled to offer our support both financially and through our employee volunteers, to do our part to help our neighbors in need.”

“Walmart is proud to support Interfaith Social Services and the incredible work that they do to help families in our communities,” said Chris Buchanan, director, Public Affairs & Government Relations at Walmart. “Working with organizations like Interfaith to end hunger is a priority for Walmart, and we look forward to our continued work with this and other deserving organizations.”

In addition to Arbella Insurance Foundation and Walmart, this year’s Gala sponsors include: JetBlue Getaways, Neighborhood Health Plan, Eastern Bank Charitable Foundation, Law Offices of George G. Burke, Quincy Mutual Group, The Lombardo Companies, Bin Ends Wine, Boston Beer Company, Granite Links and South Shore Living magazine. Businesses or individuals who are interested in adding their names to this list can visit the Gala website at www.FeedHungryGala.org to learn more about the various sponsorship opportunities that are available.

About Interfaith Social Services
Founded in 1947, Interfaith Social Services is dedicated to improving life for South Shore families and individuals in need. Their unique approach relies on a team of volunteers, donors and community partners to deliver compassionate, client-centered programs focused on hunger, mental health and emergency assistance. Services include a food pantry, one of the largest in Greater Boston; budget counseling and homelessness prevention; community gardening; free professional attire for low-income job seekers and life skills workshops. Other programs include: The New Directions Counseling center, offering mental health counseling for adults, children, couples, and families; and The Bureau Drawer Thrift Shop, operated entirely by volunteers with all sales benefiting Interfaith’s programs. Clothing and food donations from the community are always welcome.

On Tuesday June 30^th The Whole Foods in South Weymouth is partnering with Interfaith to help feed our neighbors in need. Whole Foods’ team members are passionate about supporting the local causes that are important to their shoppers and neighbors. Several times a year Whole Foods holds community giving days (otherwise known as “5% Days”) where five percent of that day’s net sales are donated to a local nonprofit, Interfaith is very proud to have been selected as the recipient!

So……

Are you planning a 4^th of July party? – stop by the store on the 30^th and feed your guests right!

Is your empty refrigerator quietly pleading with you to fill it with some delicious food? – silence that metal box and fill your fridge on the 30^th!

Were you planning on donating some food to Interfaith’s food pantry? – buy it from Whole Foods in South Weymouth on Tuesday the 30^th and make that donation even more impactful!

There are many reasons to go, whatever motivates you to get there, we are grateful for your support.

Interfaith’s staff members will be at the store from 11:30am-1:30pm and 4:30-6:30pm. Stop by and say hi, then stock on some delicious groceries; or grab some lunch at the store and take it back to the office. Every dollar you spend on Tuesday June 30^th at Whole Foods in South Weymouth will support Interfaith as we help to feed, comfort and uplift our neighbors in need here on the South Shore.

The garden at Interfaith is growing!  We expect to harvest peas, beans, tomatoes, lettuce, peppers, zucchini, cucumbers and squash as the summer lazily moves on. Volunteers from Arbella Insurance planted the garden on June 5^th with seedlings donated by Keohane Funeral homes. Each summer Keohane Funeral Home, Interfaith Social Services and the Weymouth Food Pantry team up for our Harvest Helpers program. We plant gardens, raise vegetables, distribute them through our food pantries and encourage our community to do the same.

Our garden here at 105 Adams Street in Quincy is a great place to bring your little children to see how their food grows.  Right now the squash have lovely orange blossoms. Stop by often, seeing them transform from leggy green plants to edible food is magical to grown-ups; imagine what it must be like for a child. It is wonderful to offer fresh, locally-grown veggies to our food pantry clients.

We have been able to keep up with watering the garden, thanks to Mother Nature and the wonderful volunteers here at Interfaith, but we will need more folks to help us keep the beds free from weeds and harvest the veggies as the season progresses. The garden is on the right side of our building between 105 Adams and 101 Adams Street. Stop by and check out the garden when you get a chance, or let us know if you would like to help (info@interfaithsocialservices.org), we would love to have you join our team.