Volunteers are the heart and soul of Interfaith Social Services’ programs! Each summer, we dedicate an evening to honor and celebrate all of our amazing volunteers.
At the Annual Volunteer Appreciation Night on August 2, 100 of Interfaith’s volunteers gathered at the Quincy Masonic Building to enjoy dinner, trivia and camaraderie. In addition, 17 volunteers were inducted into the Matti Lang Volunteer Hall of Fame. This honor is bestowed upon those who have served at Interfaith regularly for at least one year. The Hall of Fame is named after one of Interfaith’s most dedicated volunteers, Matti Lang, who gave decades of his life selflessly serving Interfaith’s clients. Interfaith considers all of its volunteers its heroes – they make sure that none of our neighbors in need go hungry or lose hope.
This year’s inductees:
Tricia Bertucci
Susan Bill
William Blackmer
Bernadette Connolly
Connie Corcoran
Therese Dolbec
Alan Howarth
Helen Irvin
Cathy Kennedy
Mary Kerrigan
Gene Lee
Heather Nolasco
Ann O’Brien
Jill Rupple
Debbie Stadnicki
Liz Tangusso
Jan Whalen
PARTNER OF THE YEAR
In addition to the Hall of Fame induction, Interfaith also honored our 2022 Community Partner of the Year, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts. This award honors businesses or organizations that have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to volunteerism.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts has been a loyal corporate partner of Interfaith since 2014. Blue Crew volunteers have donated more than 1,000 volunteer hours to Interfaith over the past eight years. In addition to sending monthly volunteer teams to Interfaith’s food pantry, Blue Cross has sponsored and participated in the annual Stop the Stigma 5K and Interfaith’s annual Feed the Hungry Gala. They’ve donated towards Interfaith’s seasonal programs and organized food and clothing drives.
During the critical pandemic period, when Interfaith’s client numbers continued to rise, Blue Cross also provided more than 10,000 meal kit packages for Interfaith’s food pantry. With a large percentage of their employees working from home due to the pandemic, Blue Cross brought back furloughed cafeteria staff to prepare hundreds of meal kits per day to donate to community members in need.
“We thank Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts for cultivating the philosophy of giving and service in their offices,” said Paula Daniels, Interfaith’s Director of Development. “We are deeply grateful for the time and service their hard-working teams have given to us.”
Several Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts employees attended the volunteer appreciation event and Pauline Murnin, Blue Cross Civic Engagement Manager, accepted the award on behalf of Blue Cross.
“Blue Cross is committed to creating more equitable, just and healthy communities,” said Jeff Bellows, vice president of corporate citizenship and public affairs. “We’re proud to partner with Interfaith Social Services and to engage our employees in supporting their vital work in the Quincy community. We’re humbled to be recognized as the Partner of the Year and look forward to many more opportunities to work together to ensure community members have access to the resources necessary to support healthy lifestyles.”
VOLUNTEER WITH US!
Volunteers at Interfaith Social Services commit to a three-hour shift per week. Shifts are available Monday-Friday, between 9:30am and 7pm. Opportunities include working in the Bureau Drawer Thrift Shop, assisting in food rescue operations, filling orders for clients in the food pantry, staffing the front desk, and stocking and inventorying the pantry.
Those interested in volunteering at Interfaith Social Services are encouraged to contact Paula Daniels at 617-773-6203 ext. 28 or pdaniels@interfaithsocialservices.org.
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