Category: Volunteer Opportunities - Our Neighbors' Table

Ways to GIVE BACK with your group or family this Easter!

3/13/2019

With spring fast approaching (hopefully!), Our Neighbors' Table is looking to our annual tradition of giving out Easter baskets filled with toys and candy to our families with children. It's a small touch that brings a lot of happiness to children (and their parents) this time of year.

But in order to make it happen, we need YOUR help! There are 2 ways to help, by giving time and/or items for the baskets.
1. Fill a Child’s Easter Basket

Donate candy, toys or gift cards to fill a child’s Easter basket
Items must be purchased and delivered to ONT by Monday, March 18th
Items needed:
- Candy - Jumbo bags of individually wrapped "fun-size" candy
- Gift cards for teens (Example: $10.00 to Marshalls)
Interested? Call Our Neighbors’ Table (978) 388-1907 or email Lori to sign up. When you call/email, we will give you directions on what to buy.

2. Volunteer to help assemble Easter Baskets – KID FRIENDLY!

Help to assemble Easter Baskets that will be distributed in the ONT market. This is a time flexible, kid-friendly activity that will be done at home. Volunteers will pick up basket supplies from the ONT warehouse on Thursday, March 21st any time between 3:00pm and 6:00pm or Saturday, March 23rd between 9:00am and 12:00pm. Families/groups will assemble baskets on their own time, and deliver them back to the ONT warehouse by March 30th.
Each family will be assembling up to 25 baskets, so some car and work space are required.
Sign up here to get involved and schedule basket pickup and drop off times. Questions? Email Lori.

Thank you in advance for your help in bringing Easter joy to our local children and families this spring!

Volunteer Spotlight - Rita Comtois

2/14/2019

As a licensed psychologist, much of Rita’s life was consumed by work and school. But she believes in the importance of giving back and always knew she would volunteer in her retirement when she had more time. “Volunteering is an essential part of who we are as a country,” Rita says. “You have to reach out to other people and put yourself in their shoes.”

Rita was aware of ONT from living in Amesbury, but she says she was naive about what it actually entailed. After orientation, she realized that ONT wasn't just about food, it was about community. She started helping with the computer on Fridays, then added Saturdays, then Thursday and then Wednesdays.

Now a fixture in the Market and Warehouse 4 days a week, Rita enjoys working with new volunteers and showing them how to use the computers at checkout. She’s also likes interacting with the guests and seeing them grow more comfortable with the volunteers each week. “I fully believe that any of us is only a few steps away from needing ONT’s services,” Rita says. “I respect that.”

When she's not at ONT, Rita enjoys photography, art, flowers, gardening, and reading. She has a goal to see all 50 states, she's currently at 25. Thank you Rita, for all of your hard work and dedication to ONT.

Table Talk, Winter 2019

2/14/2019

2019 is up and running! Checkout our complete list of 2019 events and mark your calendar.I am fired up! Why, you ask? Well, it’s because of YOU! When you see your neighbors struggling, you act! When you know someone who’s plate is empty, you mobilize to fill it. Whether it’s your time or your donations, you are committed to making sure your neighbors are taken care of and that inspires me every day.
It’s not just me, you’re inspiring others to join in the fight to put food on the table for all of our neighbors. Last year, more than 800 of our neighbors signed up to volunteer or made a donation for the first time. That’s 800 more people who are now aware of food insecurity in our community and 800 more people who, like you, are ready to make a difference. Knowing that so many of our fellow community members agree that NO ONE should go hungry in our backyard is what tells me that creating a food secure region is a goal within our reach
No one of us can eliminate hunger on our own, but, boy, we are powerful together.
Last year, we launched new programs and partnerships across the region - from bussing for seniors in Groveland to shop for groceries at our Amesbury market, to creative strategies to help Newburyport teachers, nurses and school administrators better reach their struggling families, to our new Market in Newburyport. As a result, we put food on the table for more than 4,000 of the 6,000 neighbors who were worrying about where they’d get their next meal.
I hope you’re as fired us as I am for the year ahead. And, if you are, I want to hear you! Keep me going, keep our team going, and share with me what is energizing you. Please, will you take a minute and share your inspiration with us? Tell us why you invest in ONT. Tell us what it means to put food on the table for your neighbors. Tell us what will keep you fired up!
Let’s make 2019 an even stronger year and reach 5,000 neighbors!

Lyndsey Haight
Executive Director

P.S. Checkout our complete list of 2019 events and mark your calendars!

Group Opportunities to Sponsor and Serve

Looking for a way to give back as a group – either a group of friends, family, neighbors or colleagues? ONT's Market and Meal Sponsorships offer the unique opportunity for group volunteer service.

Wednesday Meal Sponsorship:
Each week, ONT welcomes 150 guests to dine at our weekly Wednesday Meal. The chef prepared 3 course meal is open to any one in any community. Sponsors commit to a $500 financial contribution and bring a group of 8 volunteers to serve the meal. Dates are available on a first-come first-serve basis and are booking up fast!

Market Sponsorship:
Over 450 households shop for their groceries each week at the ONT Market. Sponsors commit a minimum of $800 and may send a team of up to 5 volunteers to work a shift in the market, assisting guests with their weekly shopping. Market shifts are available Wednesday—Saturday.
Email Lyndsey or call her at 978-388-1907 x11 if you’re interested in either opportunity. Our Meal sponsor dates are booking up fast already!

ONT to Host National Service Member

We'll be growing our team in 2019! ONT has been approved to host an AmeriCorps *VISTA member for a year, starting in the summer of 2019. The AmeriCorps is a national service program (a domestic version of the Peace Corps) and members volunteer at an organization full-time for a year to build capacity. We know the AmeriCorps is a great thing, both Alice (Volunteer Coordinator) and Lesley (Development Manager) are AmeriCorps alums! ONT's AmeriCorps *VISTA member will serve as a “Community Engagement Coordinator,” focusing on building organizational relationships and participation with volunteers and community groups. Stay tuned – we will be releasing more information and a job posting for this position soon.

Volunteer Spotlight -
Rita Comtois

As a licensed psychologist, Rita’s life was consumed by work and school. But she believes in the importance of giving back and always knew she would volunteer in her retirement when she had more time. Rita was aware of ONT from living in Amesbury, but she says she was naive about what it actually entailed. She said soon realized that ONT wasn't just about food, it was about community. She started helping with the computer on Fridays, then added Saturdays, then Thursday and then Wednesdays.

Now a fixture in the Market & Warehouse 4 days a week, Rita enjoys enjoys interacting with the guests and seeing them grow more comfortable with the volunteers each week. “I fully believe that any of us is only a few steps away from needing ONT’s services,” Rita says. “I respect that.” Read more about Rita in this month’s Volunteer Spotlight!

Fill Your Neighbors' Plate

Coming in April! You will be able to add a virtual meal to your bill at participating local restaurants. Stay tuned for more info about our restaurant partners.

Service Enterprise Initiative

We're thrilled to announce that ONT has been chosen to participate in the Massachusetts Service Allliance's Service Enterprise Initiative (SEI) certification! This nationally validated training and certification model will help ONT to strategically strengthen our capacity to utilize volunteers and their skills to advance our mission. The SEI includes comprehensive research-based assessment, training, consulting and certification. Please excuse a few absences from ONT staff as part of the training process. We believe every staff member needs to be involved to make sure we have an exemplary volunteer program at all levels of the organization. We are excited to have the opportunity to better our volunteer practices and look forward to reporting on our progress this spring.

2018 Impact

We finished another year of record-breaking numbers at ONT! We served more people than ever before. Here's a quick snapshot:
4,100 Neighbors
1,000 Children
695 Seniors
684 NEW Households
1,054,483 Meals
120,000 pounds of fresh fruits & veggies

Stay tuned for our Annual Report coming out this spring with more details about our 2018 impact.

Table Talk, Fall 2018: Food Security Starts With You

11/16/2018

As I write to you, the Amesbury Market is bustling with shoppers picking out their turkeys and bagging up their squash and potatoes and all the other essentials that they’ll prepare for a Thanksgiving feast with their family and friends. Volunteers are cheerfully meeting and greeting and holiday spirit is alive and present!
Now is always a busy time of year, this year being no different. In fact, when we opened our doors yesterday, we had already pre-registered 900 households for Thanksgiving and Christmas groceries (100 more than we served last year) and more are registering each day. But thanks to the more than 100 volunteers working this week and the continued support of a community always ready to rise to the challenge, every guest at our door will leave with arms full of groceries for the week and all the fixings needed for a holiday to be thankful for.
It may feel like magic, but the truth is happy Thanksgivings start with YOU. For all this, for your support, I extend my heartfelt thanks and share sincere gratitude on behalf of the Board and staff, and most importantly our guests. If you’ve made your gift this year, know that your generosity is already at work. And if you’re thinking about what or how much to give this holiday season, know your donation not only puts meals on your neighbor’s table today, it wraps her in a community that feeds her hope for tomorrow.

We wish you and yours a Happy Thanksgiving.

Warm Wishes,
Lyndsey Haight
Executive Director

ONT Comes to Newburyport

ONT is excited to officially announce the opening of a weekly market in Newburyport. The program opened in June thanks to a partnership with Community Service of Newburyport and is currently serving residents of Newburyport, Newbury and West Newbury every Thursday, 11:00am – 2:00pm. After years of partnering on referring local residents to each agency’s services, CSN’s move to their new location at St. Paul’s Church in 2018 was the catalyst to bring ONT and CSN’s strengths and resources under one roof. The soft opening in June allowed both organizations to get settled in and work out any challenges. CSN officially welcomed the community at their ribbon-cutting on October 22nd, and both organizations are now looking forward to getting the word out. Read more about what impact ONT is making in Newburyport.

ONT Annual Breakfast Celebrates Impact

This year's Annual Breakfast was an inspiring morning celebrating the collective impact of the community joining together to create food security. Dr. Gail Fayre of Anna Jacques Hospital, volunteer Bob Murciak and board member Kellyn Nahas bravely shared their own stories with the group. (pictured here right to left with emcee Dana Marshall)
Read more about the breakfast and 2018 impact. #whatsyourstory

The Holidays Have Arrived at ONT!

Volunteer Spotlight - Emily White

If you ask Emily White why she volunteers, she’ll tell you that she likes to be “part of a local solution.” Emily volunteers in the ONT office and organizes home grocery delivery bags every week. “It’s my favorite day of the week,” she says about her Wednesdays with ONT. A mom of 4, Emily has brought her children to volunteer with her at ONT to teach them to give back to their community.

Emily told us that she enjoyed the fulfillment of volunteering when she began last fall, but it has grown into something greater as she realized how special the Our Neighbors’ Table community is. Read more about Emily in this month's Volunteer Spotlight!

The holidays are a special time and ONT is thrilled to once again help guests celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas in their own home with groceries from ONT. This week, volunteers are helping over 900 households get their Thanksgiving groceries at our Markets. In addition to specialty holiday fixings, each individual or family gets the choice of a turkey or super chicken and a $10 local supermarket gift card to purchase additional special items ONT might not have on hand.
Next month, the market will be filled with holiday groceries again for special hours December 11th- 15th.
To help with holiday distribution as a volunteer or to sign up for holiday groceries, please call our office, 978-388-1907.

Upcoming at ONT

Dinner with Santa
Santa is making his annual visit to the Wednesday Meal on Dec. 12! Join us for pictures with Santa, carolers and lots of holiday cheer!

Holiday Schedule
The ONT Office, the Market and the Wednesday Meal are all open normal hours on Wednesday, November 21. The Meal will be pork tenderloin, roasted potatoes, fresh vegetable and soup of the day. The ONT Office and all programs will be closed Thursday - Sunday for the Thanksgiving Holiday (Nov. 22 - 25).

We wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving with their loved ones!

Check out the full list of holiday events and hours here!

Community Food Drives
Nov. 17: You have 2 choices for donating food to ONT on Saturday!

Scouting for Food: You can leave your food at your house for the Scouts to pick up.
Fill A Cruiser: Donate food at Stop & Shop in partnership with the Amesbury, Salisbury & West Newbury Police.
The Georgetown Police will also be collecting food at Crosby's Marketplace on Nov. 17.

Nov. 22: Booster Food Drive at Amesbury v. Newburyport football game

Thinking about your charitable giving this time of year?

Not sure what to get that friend who has everything? Need a hostess gift? Give the gift of food security through a donation in their honor to ONT! When you donate online, your email donation receipt includes a card at the bottom that you can print and give for the holidays or for your special occasion. ONT will also send a notification letter if you provide the persons's name and address in the designated fields.

Ask if your company offers a matching gift program. Many companies do as a benefit to their employees and will match your generosity to ONT. If you need assistance, please reach out to Lesley.

Thinking about your year-end gift? According to IRS regulations, it must be postmarked by Dec. 31 in order to count for your 2018 taxes, regardless of the date on the check. Or you can donate online before 11:59pm!

Thank you to our 2018 Great Neighbors!

Table Talk, January 2018: New Hope for a New Year

1/26/2018

2017: 1 Million Meals, More than 3,400 Neighbors Served!
What a year! And it didn't just happen by chance. More than 600 volunteers dedicated more than 28,000 hours of service and thousands of you contributed more than $840,000 in funds and $558,000 in food and toiletries to ensure our doors opened every day and our neighbors were welcomed and served all year long.
Thank you to every single one of YOU! We have high hopes for the year ahead and the potential to serve even more neighbors in 2018. Watch for our official 2017 annual report that will publish in early March. In the meantime, stay involved, come visit us, and help us spread the word about food insecurity in our community. Lyndsey Haight
Executive Director

You've made a real difference for these neighbors...

WEE Can Help!!!
ONT is a place where the whole family can get involved. Now, ONT offers some special opportunities for some of our youngest supporters. WEE Can Help! is a volunteer program for children aged 5-7 years. We have bi-weekly shifts reserved just for this eager age group to help us stock our market along with their parents, grandparents, or their favorite adult.

Adults are required to complete a volunteer orientation prior to registering for a volunteer shift. Complete your volunteer application and get started today!

How Can You Get Involved in 2018?
Every week, we register new neighbors and families who come to us for help. We expect to serve more than 3,500 people this year. But we can't do it without YOU.

Join the Run Out Hunger Team!
Do you love Our Neighbors’ Table? Have you made fitness part of your new year’s resolution? Now you can combine the two and really make a difference for your neighbors. ONT is partnering with Green Stride again this year to host ONT’s Run Out Hunger Team at the Earth Rock Run and the Newburyport Half Marathons. We are so excited to announce Studio 5 is also joining our team! Boston marathon veteran Jess Bailey and Studio 5 owner Lindsay Zappala are lending their training expertise to get you across the finish line! Join us today!

Become a Sustaining Donor!
More than 400 households shop in our Market and ore than 100 guests come to eat at our Wednesday Meal each week! Don't wait until next December, set up your monthly or quarterly installments and know you're taking care of your neighbors today!

Volunteer!
Contributing nearly 600 hours of service EVERY WEEK, volunteers are the backbone of ONT’s programs.
Become a sustaining donor! Whether you are 1 person or a group, whether you can give 3 hours a year or 3 hours a month, WE WANT YOU! Complete your volunteer application now!

Help us Raise Awareness!
The first step in solving a problem is becoming aware that the problem exists. Hunger in our community is still a hidden problem. People struggling to put food on their tables still hide in shame. Even when it’s a close friend or neighbor, many of us are still unaware of how many people are fighting hunger in our schools, our churches, our local businesses. But YOU can help change that! Spread the word and help people understand that even one simple act can make a difference.

Host a food drive – not only are you collecting valuable food donations for us to give to neighbors in need, you are also raising awareness of the issue among your friends, co-workers, parish members.
Sponsor a Wednesday Meal, Market Day, or our special events – There’s no better way to get friends, employees, or even customers, to experience first-hand the impact of your involvement.

Check our 2018 calendar and be sure to follow us on facebook, twitter and instagram!

Volunteer Spotlight: Will Mauch

7/12/2017

William “Will” Mauch is a 20-year-old Amesbury resident who works behind the scenes restocking the Our Neighbors’ Table market. Will started volunteering with ONT when he was in high school, energetically lugging food up and down the stairs in our old basement food storage area, helping guests bring groceries to their cars, and greeting folks in the old pantry. About volunteering in the Jardis-Taylor center verses our old facility Will says, “There’s more space, easier to find things, it is very organized. I like the system of shopping with carts. It’s a nice building, I like it a lot.”

This fall, Will enters his sophomore year at Landmark College, studying Liberal Arts. Will first got involved with ONT through donating to food drives organized by his church, Saint James Episcopal Church in Amesbury. This summer Will has become a crucial part of ONT’s market support operations, stocking shelves and making sure the market is up to ONT’s high quality standard before it opens every Thursday. He even has contributed to our volunteer recruitment, he convinced his friend Brandon to work alongside him in the market this summer. Will and Brandon bring young energy and meticulous care to their time volunteering in the ONT market. Will generously shares a bit of his time and dynamism with ONT by volunteering. When asked why he volunteers he declares, “At first it was for volunteer hours, but now it is because I like helping people out. It feels good to help people who need it and to give back to the community.”

Table Talk, Summer 2017

7/12/2017

Summer Time: A time of fun for ALL!

Now in its seventh year, ONT’s Summer Lunch Program is bigger than ever with 300 children already enrolled and a second distribution site added! The 8-week program, running July 5-August 26, provides extra groceries for healthy breakfast, lunch and snacks to families with school-aged children. This year we expanded our program to include a distribution site at the Boys & Girls Club of the Lower Merrimack Valley in Salisbury. SLP helps cover the gap left when kids are no longer receiving free- or reduced lunch through their schools. We’re saving each family nearly $150 per month per child! To sign up for the Summer Lunch Program, call 978-388-1907. ONT is currently competing for $10,000 through KIND snacks’ KIND Causes. Vote for ONT today!

The Spoon Platoon is marching hunger out of our community

ONT’s programs are funded primarily through donations from local individuals, businesses and foundations. As need in our region continues to grow, their continued generosity will ensure we never have to turn anyone away. Our Neighbors’ Table recognizes those donors who are really leading the charge through our Spoon Platoon program, which was officially inaugurated on June 13th with the installation of a beautiful living sculpture created by local artists Ryan Kelley and Stephen Martin. Engraved spoons commemorate families, neighborhood groups, local businesses, and individuals who have made food security in our community a philanthropic priority, supporting the construction of The Jardis-Taylor Center for Our Neighbors’ Table as well as our day-to-day programs. YOU can join the Spoon Platoon today!

ONT named one of 100K for 100!

ONT kicked off the summer with some incredible news. Through a competitive process, ONT was awarded $100,000 from the Cummings Foundation 100K for 100 program to support the growth of our grocery programs. The funds, disbursed over 2017 and 2018, will help ONT keep up with the growing number of guests utilizing the weekly market at the Jardis-Taylor Center and expand our mobile market and home delivery programs across the region.

L-R: Lori Townsend, Program Director; Joyce Cummings; Lyndsey Haight, Executive Director at the 100K for 100 awards reception on June 8

Volunteer Spotlight: Will Mauch

ONT’s programs don’t run without our volunteers. Each week, people from 8-88 pitch in more than 550 hours of service to unload trucks, stock shelves, chop vegetables, mop floors, answer the phones, serve dinner, and help guests shop in the market. This quarter’s spotlight focuses on Will Mauch, a 20-year-old Amesbury resident who works behind the scenes restocking the Our Neighbors’ Table market. Will started volunteering with ONT when he was in high school, and continues to return on his college breaks. This year, he even recruited a friend!

ONT: Nonprofit of the Year, Newburyport Chamber of Commerce

ONT Board members Jane Albert, Frank Childs, Ginny Eramo and Greg Jardis receive Nonprofit of the Year from NCC's Grace Connolly and David Strand at the Newburyport Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner.

Enter to win premium tickets to Pats, Sox or Bruins!

How can YOU help???

Your support opens the door for new guests every day. Every $1=1 more meal on the table!

Save the Date: September 9
FILL EM UP FEST! Food truck festival on Newburyport's waterfront! Tickets and details coming later this month.

Check out our full calendar of events!

Become an event sponsor and let everyone know it's important to you to fight hunger!

Sign up to volunteer!

Table Talk: Volunteer Opportunities

7/16/2014

Get involved today! Check out these upcoming opportunities to lend a hand here at ONT.

Be an ONT Ambassador!
ONT is recruiting a team of Food Drive Ambassadors. The Fall is a busy time of year for food drives in the community. We are looking for outgoing, organized individuals with a passion for food drives to help us manage all of the different drives throughout the year. We'll give you all the training and information you'll need. If you would like to represent ONT in the community and think you could commit at least 5 hours per month, call 978.388.1907 or email Lyndsey to find out more.

Food Pantry Openings
LIFTERS NEEDED! We need strong individuals to help set up/clean up the pantry and help guests carry groceries to their cars. Hours are Fridays 8:00-11:30 and 11:00-2:00 and Saturdays 7:45-11:00 and 10:30-1:30. Email or call us if you can help!
Regular pantry openings:
Saturdays, 9:00-12:30 - July 26, August 9, 16, and 23.

Be a Leader!
Volunteers play a critical role in delivering our programs to people in need. But did you know volunteers also serve a vital role in laying the groundwork for ONT's future? ONT's Board of Directors is looking for energetic individuals who are passionate about ending hunger to serve on its working committees. We'd love to put your talents and expertise to great use!
The Volunteer Recognition Committee works to improve our volunteers' overall experience at ONT through better communication, opportunities for recognition, support and training. Table Talk was born from our Volunteer Recognition Committee. If you like to nurture others, have good ideas about supporting volunteers, and want to help, contact Pat Smith or Murray Bailey to find out more!
Keeping our pantry and kitchen stocked takes a lot of food and cash donations. Our Resource Development Committee coordinates our calendar of food drives and fundraisers to make sure we are here for anyone who needs us. If you are creative and like to talk about the work we do at ONT, then contact Joan Bukoskey or Amanda Kelcourse to get involved today!

Families Wanted!
Our Summer Lunch Program is underway, providing lots of nutritious breakfast, lunch and snack foods to help families get through the summer break. This program not only helps families, but gives families a great opportunity to help. We have the following openings. Call 978.388.1907 or email Lyndsey to reserve your slot today!
Saturdays, 9:00-11:30 - July 26, August 9 and 23