Community Update

All factors were favorable on
Saturday, November 2, when the Woburn Letter Carriers conducted their 15th
Annual Henry Shaughnessy Memorial Holiday Food Drive to benefit Council of
Social Concern’s Food Pantry!  Even the
weather cooperated (very unusual!), as mail truck after mail truck streamed in,
delivering load after load of much needed food. 
Thanks to the efforts of many, a mountain of food was delivered,
totaling well over $30,000 worth.  As a
result, our shelves went from bare to overflowing in one day!

Our friends at the Woburn Post
Office conduct this food drive to kick off our holiday season, and they have
our profound gratitude for their commitment to this project.  There is a national postal food drive in the
spring, but I don’t know of another Post Office that conducts an additional
one, so kudos to the Woburn Letter Carriers for their extraordinary sense of
community and generosity!

Many thanks also to the more than
30 volunteers who unloaded trucks, sorted food, stocked shelves, broke down
boxes, emptied trash and generally managed the warehouse.  In addition to individual volunteers who
“just wanted to help out”, these enthusiastic and energetic  people represented Woburn Memorial High
School’s Club of Social Concern, North Congregational Church and Boy Scout
Troop 519.

Of course, this project could
only be a success if our Woburn
residents supported it – and support it you did!  Our very deepest appreciation goes out to
everyone who left food, cash or checks out for your Letter Carrier to
deliver.  Your generosity makes a
difference!

Special thanks also to George
Adams and Debbie Salmon of the Woburn Post Office, who are dedicated to making
each and every food drive the best one ever; to the U. S. Postal Service and
Branch 34 of the National Association of Letter Carriers for providing the
funds to print the cards that were left in our mailboxes publicizing the event;
to William Harris, Postmaster, for his continuing support of this project; to
the Washington Street Dunkin Donuts for providing refreshments for our
hard-working Letter Carriers; and to the Patch and all the “angels” who helped
to spread the word about this vitally important event!

I hope you all have a wonderful
holiday season, knowing that you fed the bellies and warmed the hearts of our neighbors going through hard times!

Karen Colatrella, Food Pantry
Director

Council of Social Concern

2 Merrimac
Street

Woburn, MA  01801

Phone: 781-935-6495, ext.
208

Fax: 781-935-1923

E-mail:
karen@socialconcern.org