Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas!!!

Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas!!! Such a
whirlwind time of year. Just as you have finished the
annual apple picking trip you are bringing out the Halloween pumpkins and costumes. While you nibble on
left-over Halloween candy you begin to plan your
Thanksgiving meal knowing your table may be crowded
this year.
The children of Pilgrim Hope temporary shelter enjoyed a fun day of
making crafts, parading in their costumes and enjoying treats supplied by the wonderful ladies of Women Supporting Women who
annually manage this fun-filled day for the young.
Our annual Thanksgiving Meal Food Baskets are full of all the ingredients to make Thanksgiving the holiday everyone should
be able to have with loved ones. It is the goal of the Plymouth Area Coalition to make certain you are able to have your meal
with your family. From turkeys to pie ingredients, our baskets are just a small way we can help those in need.
We are able to create this “horn of plenty” through the donations of generous organizations, companies and individuals who
donate each year, turkeys, food staples or gift cards for Stop & Shop and Shaw’s supermarkets. At the time of this writing we
have over 200 families scheduled to receive Thanksgiving Food Baskets, knowing many more will be needed before Thanks-
Through the generosity of
the Charles Bank Homes
Foundation, the Harold
Brooks Foundation, the
Safe Family Fund and
Eastern Bank as well as
the compassion of community donations our new
Food Pantry has become
a reality.
The new separate building is located next to our
main building with plenty
of parking spaces. We are
one of the few pantries in
the area that has full-size
freezers and refrigeration
units which gives us the
ability to store frozen
foods, fresh vegetables
and dairy products.
We are excited to have construction complete on our new Food Pantry which is now
open for service Wednesdays 5pm to 7pm and Thursdays 9:30am to 12:30pm.
Welcome to the waiting area of our
new food pantry. Four visitors at a
time are assisted in making good
food choices as they shop our pantry while others have a clean, comfortable reception area in which to
wait.
Mary Lou Boulay, Dennis Griffin, and Josh
Roberts part of our hard-working and absolutely dependable team of volunteers who
give so unselfishly each week to help with
our Food Pantry….They greet you with a
smile and introduce some of the new items
to choose from as well as the weekly staples. Thank you all volunteers. You ARE the
“best of the best.”
We love our Giving Tree which proudly hangs on the wall of our new food pantry with names of
companies or individuals who have graciously donated to the needs of our organization. Displayed
in the shape of beautiful, brushed bronze leaves and rocks.
Dennis, Josh and Mary Lou stocking the shelves for those who rely on the generosity of our community to help supply
their families with basic nutritional needs. Clients often go home with that special treat for dessert. This team is well
organized, informed and full of compassion for those who are simply having a difficult time putting a meal on the table.
Our shiny, new shelves are stocked by our loyal volunteers who also arrive each Wednesday and Thursday to offer weekly supplies of food for those individuals and families who are experiencing a decreased
income due to unemployment or reduced hours at
work. People simply trying to feed their families.
Food boxes are distributed to the needy in the community. They contain non-perishable food items, as
well as fresh foods, much of which is donated
by businesses, individuals, church and civic groups in
our community. The pantry also provides food baskets
for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
The pantry is open Wednesdays 5 pm to 7pm and
Thursdays 9:30 am to 12:30 pm. Donations of food
are accepted 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The Coalition believes NO ONE shall go without daily
sustenance.
Our food pantry provides canned and fresh foods to
low income South Shore residents: 20 towns total. We
receive support from Project Bread’s Walk for Hunger,
Greater Boston Food Bank, Whole Foods, BJ’s
Wholesale Club, local churches, private foundations,
civic groups and individual community members. If
you know of someone who is in need, do not hesitate
to direct them to our Food Pantry.
The Coalition is always welcoming volunteers. If you have some free time that you can give we could use your help in
putting together Thanksgiving Meal baskets. And our Children’s Holiday Fund has our own Santa’s Workshop that
could use some continuous organizing of toys and clothing. Perhaps you have some time to work in Coalition’s new
Food Pantry we have on site, please give us a call or email us with any questions or fill out the volunteer application
found on this web site. Choose the days or evenings that you may be free to lend a hand to a very worthy cause. We
welcome any talents you may have to offer: tutoring the children after school, run a childcare program in our shelter or
teach a life-skills class to our clients who are in transition, giving it their best to make positive changes in their lives and
for those in their family.
Left to right: Nancy, Katie, Joe, Ashley, K.K., and Josh
Each Tuesday our volunteers from Project Growth of Plymouth North High School arrives to our Food Pantry to help
organize and stock the shelves for our Wednesday and Thursday hours of operation.
Project Growth is a work-based learning program for students, age 18-22 who have earned their Certificate of Attainment. These young people proudly work in the community five days a week, Monday—Friday throughout the school
year.
We always look forward to their visits and the fabulous job they do. Their friendly attitude and great work ethics are a
great attribute to our volunteer staff.
Our new playground is complete, providing a safe atmosphere to climb, slide and glide while getting exercise and fresh
air. Plymouth Area Coalition provides a stress-free and secure playground for the children, who temporarily reside at our
Pilgrim Hope Family Shelter. We want these children to do what all children do best: PLAY………...
Our gratitude to the Plymouth Industrial Development Corporation for sponsoring this safe and fun place to be.
The toddlers play yard is a separate play area for client toddlers to enjoy the all vinyl playhouse and a covered sandbox to
keep critters and inclement weather out when not in use. Picnic tables for parent and child to enjoy a snack: all of this on
new asphalt surface. Under parental supervision children play with the scaled-to-size equipment. A great source to entice
little ones out of doors to enjoy the fall weather to play with trucks and toys and sandcastle-making. Plymouth Industrial
Development Corporation without whom these fun play areas would not be possible.
The Upland Riders of Plympton have been faithful sponsors of Plymouth Area Coalition and the Children’s Holiday Fund for five years. We love to hear the sound of the motorcycles roaring into the parking
lot on a Sunday afternoon. You will never meet a greater group of generous people. They are a family
nonprofit group that was started in 1992.
Each year they hold the Steve Cole Poker run at the Upland Sportsman’s Club in Plympton, in memory of
the loss of their first member and friend, Steve who passed away due to an accident. This Poker Run
began in 1994 and is one of the most successful such events on the South Shore. The membership caps
at 150 members with individuals from all walks of life: Moms & Dads, teachers, construction workers,
mechanical engineers, chefs, truckers, social workers, etc. From BMW bikes to Harley “hogs”….everyone
is included.
You can find them on Face book or at their web page www.uplandriders.org
Mark Williamson (r) of the Upland
Riders presents Bob Romeo (l)
one of the Residential Counselors
of Plymouth Area Coalition, with a
check for the Thanksgiving Meal
baskets.
Each year the Upland Riders donate a generous financial gift for our Thanksgiving Meals to those in need as well as inventory of
great foods for the Food Pantry. Then, three weeks later we are graced with their presence again as they deliver another donation
for the Children’s Holiday Fund and bags full of toys.
“Hark the Herald Angels Sing”
The 2013 Children’s Holiday Fund is underway. Each year, through our Children’s Holiday Fund, we attempt to
help those in need who perhaps have had some financial difficulty or a change in family dynamics and would like
assistance in providing gifts for their children under the age of 18 years in the communities of Carver, Halifax,
Kingston, Plymouth and Plympton.
We are able to continue this program through the generosity of those, such as yourself or your organization, who
reside or work within the communities serviced through the Children’s Holiday Fund. Giving is easy and fun. You
or your organization can adopt a child for the holidays. You will receive a profile of the child/children along with
their wish list. Shop for the items on that list, drop them off, and provide a happy holiday for a deserving family. If
you would like to sponsor a child or children please call 781-582-2010. Our Children’s Holiday Fund Coordinator
will match you with a child or children to whom you can bring great joy to their Christmas season.
If you are in need of assistance please call our Holiday Fund line at 781-585-0006. Follow the instructions by
leaving a message and an application will be sent to you.
No time to shop? Send us a check or feel free to drop in with a financial donation and the staff here at the Coalition will buy clothing and toys from a child’s wish list. No matter how you choose to be a part of the Children’s
Holiday Fund, this is a wonderful way to celebrate the holidays and make a difference for one family in a personal way.
The Children’s Holiday Fund would like to thank you in advance for your generous donation. If you have any
Family Remembers Happy Christmas Through Coalition
By Kathryn Gallerani
[email protected]
KINGSTON – Heather and her family will never forget how the Pilgrim Area Coalition helped make Christmas brighter
at their time of need.
Heather, her husband and their four very rambunctious sons, now ages 19, 16, 14 and 11, received help a few years in
a row about three years back after coming into some financial trouble around the holidays.
While they moved from Carver to North Carolina in August, they will always have happy memories of Christmases past
thanks to the Coalition’s Children’s Holiday Fund.
“My children had a great Christmas because of them,” Heather said. “They got to believe a little longer.”
The presents for the boys would not have been possible without the support of the Children’s Holiday Fund, Heather
said. The Coalition also opened its food pantry to them at their time of need and supplied them with a turkey dinner at
Thanksgiving.
“They’re awesome,” she said. “Everything they do there is awesome.”
Heather said she understands why it can be difficult to ask for help, but the Coalition is meant to help people. She said
they were made to feel comfortable about reaching out.
“It’s OK to reach out for help when you need it,” she said. “Pilgrim Hope (another name for the Coalition) is there to help
people, and it’s all anonymous.”
A stay-at-home mom who was a foster parent, Heather learned about the Coalition through a social service agency and
said she will be forever grateful for the introduction.
“Making enough money just to get by was not going to help at Christmas time,” she wrote, giving thanks to the Coalition. “I thank God for the volunteers and donations that came through at Pilgrim Hope. If not for them I would have seen sad
faces Christmas morning, and my children were always happy with what they got.”
The Children’s Holiday Fund provides Christmas gifts to children ranging in age from newborn to 17 years old. Families
seeking assistance for the holidays should call the Children’s Holiday Fund at 781-585-0006 to receive an application.
Names are kept confidential.
Anyone who wants to help make the holidays brighter for a child can donate a gift on a child’s wish list by calling the
Children’s Holiday Fund for details at 781-582-2010.
Donations by check should be made payable to the Children’s Holiday Fund and mailed to Children’s Holiday Fund,
149 Bishop’s Highway, Kingston, MA 02364. To donate online,go to www.plymouthareacoalition.org.
Courtesy of The Old Colony Memorial
Follow Kathryn Gallerani on Twitter @kgallreporter
Please join us in spreading the true spirit of the Holiday Season!
Celebrate the joys of the holiday season and support the Festival of the Trees event at the Faunce School, during
Kingston Luminary night on December 14th from 6-8:30pm. The event will benefit the food pantry at Pilgrim’s Hope
Homeless Shelter in Kingston. Come see many trees, uniquely decorated and donated by organizations and businesses throughout the local community.
As you enter the Festival, you will be greeted by a six foot tree, donated and decorated by the families of Boy Scout
Troop #199. Stroll among the remaining trees while you enjoy holiday treats and holiday music.
There is no entrance fee for the Festival. Instead, attendees are asked to bring canned food to donate. “Sample grocery bags” will also be available for purchase at the door. Tickets will be given in exchange for your food donation and
with the tickets you can cast your vote for best-decorated tree. There will be a give-away at the end of the night to
determine a winner of each of the trees.
Most needed items are cereal, canned meats, canned vegetables, canned fruit, canned soups and canned tomato
products.
This event is being organized and implemented by Life Scout Dominic Fiore for his Eagle project. For more
information about the Festival of Trees, contact Dominic Fiore @ 781-572-9096
http://climbing4acause.org/kili-klimb
Mark Waitkus,
Chairman of the Board of Trustees
Plymouth Area Coalition
John Linares,
Former Board Member
Plymouth Area Coalition
Mark and John are two of the nine team members from Kingston. Please visit their web site for pictures and details of
others on this team of adventurous and generous men who are climbing to make a difference.
Mount Kilimanjaro, also known as the “Mountain of Greatness”, is the tallest freestanding mountain on Earth, rising
19,340 feet above Africa’s Serengeti Plain.
KiliKilmb is Climbing4ACause’s inaugural fundraising expedition and was formed to raise much-needed funds for a number of local and national charities and not-for-profit entities, including ALS TDI, the Plymouth Area Coalition for the Homeless and Kingston Youth Sports Organization. Additionally, Climbing4ACause intends to donate a portion of its proceeds
to malaria relief efforts in Tanzania, home to Mt. Kilimanjaro.
In February 2014, after nearly two years of meticulous physical and logistical preparation, approximately 24 climbers from
across the United States will embark on KiliKlimb. This is a two week charitable expedition to attempt to summit the
“Mountain of Greatness” via the Northern Circuit Route, one of Mt. Kilimanjaro’s most demanding routes.
To learn more about KiliKlimb’s beneficiaries, please visit them by clicking on the links provided below. To learn more
about how you can help us further our mission by volunteering, donating and/or sponsoring an event, please send us a
message through our contact page or email us at [email protected].
All of us at the Plymouth Area Coalition for the Homeless wish to thank Mark, John and their climbing team for their generosity, caring and adventurous spirit in this remarkable feat which, in turn, will bring much-needed attention to and help
support those beneficiaries mentioned.
We ask that you consider supporting this team with your donations and keep them in your thoughts for a safe trek as they
begin the climb in February 2014….just around the corner.
To all who serve, who have served, we want to THANK YOU.
Please be sure to thank a Veteran when you see them. Not just on
Veteran’s Day, but any day that you may have the honor to see
them. Shake their hand and simply say “Thank You”.