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Food Pantry Garden

The garden at Interfaith is growinSeedlingsg!  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 5th 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.
Garden 2015                              Garden 2015 1

Now Accepting Board Member Nominations

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Board members Jim Thorne and John O’Donnell help assemble a food order for a pantry client during the Board’s In-service day – March 2015.

Interfaith Social Services is now accepting nominations for our board of directors. We will have a few open positions beginning fall 2015.

Founded in 1947, Interfaith Social Services is dedicated to improving life for South Shore families and individuals in need. Our unique approach relies on a team of volunteers, donors and community partners who deliver compassionate, client-centered programs focused on hunger, mental health and emergency assistance.

Here is an overview of how Interfaith has served our community this past year:

  • 152 households avoided homelessness thanks to Interfaith’s HomeSafe program
  • 8,764 bags of clothing were donated to our Bureau Drawer Thrift Shop
  • 2,568 calls for assistance were logged by our mental health counseling center
  • 18,191 hungry individuals were fed through Interfaith’s food pantry, one of the largest emergency food programs in Greater Boston
  • 463,038 lbs. of salvage food was collected from local supermarkets and distributed to hungry South Shore Residents

These efforts, and many others, were made possible by leadership from Interfaith’s board of directors.

We recognize that many people want to use their talents to make a difference in their community. As such, we are looking for a diverse group of applicants with the skills and passion needed to lead one of the South Shore’s oldest nonprofit organizations. Serving on Interfaith’s board of directors gives you the opportunity to be a part of the organization’s management team. Board members are involved in the strategic planning process and determine the organization’s direction for the future.

Expectations for board members:

  • Share a passion and commitment to Interfaith's mission of delivering compassionate, client-centered programs focused on hunger, mental health and emergency assistance.
  • Attend nine board meetings each year held on the 4th Thursday of the month - except for July, August and November.
  • Assist in establishing priorities and ensure that plans and programs are implemented.
  • Board members’ main responsibility is to oversee the operation of the organization.

Qualifications:

  • Individuals who excel with team dynamics
  • Someone who listens well and is thoughtful in considering the various sides to every issue.
  • Desire to serve on committees and pursue further responsibilities on the board.

If you would like to nominate yourself or someone you know please email Interfaith’s executive director Rick Doane (rdoane@interfaithsocialservices.org) and tell us why you are interested. These responses will be forwarded to the board of director’s nominating committee for review. Applicants can expect to hear from a committee member regarding the status of their inquiry before August 31, 2015.

Many Hats – Life in a Small Non-Profit

multiple-hatsAt small nonprofit organizations staff members traditionally wear many hats. Such is the case at Interfaith Social Services. Our fundraising person is also our volunteer coordinator. Our executive director is also our IT, HR, and PR person. There is no receptionist, everyone answers the phone. Everyone chips in and does what needs to get done. Most organizations do this because they need to – limited budgets, program constraints, reduced funding, etc. Interfaith, however, does this by choice.

The organization operates with a small number of staff members so that we can make sure as much  funding as possible goes back to our programs. We believe strongly in the principle of stewardship. We are stewards of the donations that we receive, our solemn responsibility is to make sure that the funds are used to help as many people as possible. One unique factor which makes this possible is our  VOLUNTEERS. In 2014 Interfaith’s volunteers donated over 19,000 hours of time serving their neighbors in need through Interfaith’s programs. They make the difference. They are the heart and soul of our organization. Corporate teams, individuals, churches, school kids – these are our volunteers – this is our community. It is inspiring to serve beside them. Their dedication is infectious. Our staff might might wear many hats but the burden is lighter, life is less frantic, because of our volunteers and the support we receive from our community.