Loaves & Fishes will host its eighth annual “Shop for Your Parents Day,” co-sponsored by the Nashoba Valley Chamber of Commerce and hosted by the Shriver Job Corps Center, Saturday, Dec. 13.
This special day includes a family breakfast, a visit from Santa Claus, and a holiday gift shop where each family can select at least one item to bring home. This program provides an opportunity for children of Loaves and Fishes clients to select presents for their parents or guardians at no cost. In addition, seniors and adults living alone are each provided with a gift bag.
Loaves & Fishes needs help in order to make this day happen. In addition to cash donations, we are looking for new gifts with a value between $10 and $15. We also need holiday gift bags, bows, and wrapping paper. Checks should be made out to “Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry” with “Shop for Your Parents” noted in the memo area. Checks can be mailed to Loaves & Fishes, c/o PO Box 215, Ayer, MA 01432. For gift drop-off information contact Marie Allen at 978-772-7510 or Joan Pena at 978-772-4440.
Except for jewelry, all gifts must be new. Donations should be received by Dec. 1.
In addition, Loaves & Fishes will hold its annual “Shop for Your Kids Day” Thursday, Dec. 18, at the pantry. We need cash donations, gift cards ($20) and new, unwrapped gifts to make this day a success. We anticipate that we will be serving more than 500 kids this year, so we are in urgent need of help. We invite readers to review our website (www.devenspantry.org) for a “most-wanted list” of gifts and books. (We also know what our kids want, so be sure to ask us.)
The pantry will hold morning and evening toy-shopping sessions so that clients with daytime jobs can participate. We need extra volunteers to staff our 5:30 to 7 p.m. session on Dec. 18. Anyone who would like to volunteer—running a toy drive, book drive, stocking-stuffer drive, wrapping paper drive, etc.,—at the office or in the neighborhood, is invited to contact Judy Grande at jgrande760@aol.com, or call Patricia Stern, executive director, at the pantry at 978-772-4627, ext. 5.
Judy Grande, publicity
Loaves & Fishes
