~ The Advocate Asks ~

Volunteers talk about the community spirit and good will that motivated them to be a part of the Saugus United Parish Food Pantry’s Annual Thanksgiving food drive

 

  Editor’s Note: We spent some time last Saturday (Nov. 17) morning in the basement of Cliftondale Congregational Church to observe the operation of the Saugus United Parish Food Pantry’s annual Thanksgiving food drive. The Saugus Advocate interviewed organizational leaders, some of the longtime food pantry volunteers, several Saugus High School students who chipped in to help and newcomers who have recently begun participating in this good will project that brings the community together. Highlights from last week’s interviews follow.

 

Q: Please tell me a little bit about this year’s Thanksgiving food drive, Pastor Joe.

Cliftondale Congregational Church Pastor Joe Hoyle, who organized his third Thanksgiving food drive during the five and a half years he has been officiating the church: We have 138 families signed up this year, an average of 2.5 people per family. Last year, we had 90-plus, so we are serving about 40 more families this year than we did last year.

Q: Sounds like there’s a greater need for the turkey meal this year.

Pastor Hoyle: Yes. There’s been a greater demand. Everything I had projected that we needed, we exceeded. And we had to order more turkeys – 138 turkeys we got this year – that’s the most since I’ve been director [of the Saugus United Parish Food Pantry].

Q: So, this is your third year. You’ve been doing it since Wendy Reed passed away. Do the volunteers and the people who come here to the Food Pantry still talk about Wendy?

Pastor Hoyle: Oh yes. Wendy was a legend. We still talk about her. Wendy is still a part of our work here.

Q: So, how is it working out today? How many people do you have down here helping out? And what’s the age range?

Pastor Hoyle: We have a total of about 20 volunteers, ranging from the age of elementary and high school students to senior citizens – maybe from 10 years old to 80-plus. During an average Friday morning at the Food Pantry, we will average about 10 to 12 volunteers. But for this event today, it’s at least 20, maybe up to 25.

Q: So, where do donations come from to put on a food drive like this?

Pastor Hoyle: A lot comes from The Greater Boston Food Bank. And we get donations locally from individuals and various organizations – some of them that put on food drives to help us.

Q: So, could you serve more families in need locally for something like this?

Pastor Hoyle: Everybody has to register ahead of time and we have time slots for them to come and pick up their meals. We do order extra in case a few people who didn’t register come in at the last minute, but we usually have enough.

Q: So, what does it cost collectively, to put something on like this?

Pastor Hoyle: Probably $7,000 to $8,000 – the fresh produce comes to about $3,000 and the turkeys add up to about $2,500.

Q: And with that, you are able to put a Thanksgiving Day meal on the table for all of the needy families you hear about?

Pastor Hoyle: We don’t turn anybody away. They don’t have to be residents of Saugus, but the vast majority of our clientele is from Saugus.

Q: What does the meal you give out consist of?

Pastor Hoyle: The turkeys average out to about 11 pounds.

Q: Please tell me what’s in the boxes.

Pastor Hoyle: Green beans, celery, a bag of apples, onions, carrots, squash, a jug of apple cider, a bag of potatoes and a bag of cranberries.

Q: What’s in those bags you are giving out?

Pastor Hoyle: Canned green beans, canned corn, stuffing mix, desert mix, cranberry sauce, cornbread mix and mashed potatoes.

Q: So, how long have you been helping needy families from this basement?

Pastor Hoyle: The Saugus United Food Pantry has been supporting our community for at least 20 years. The Thanksgiving meals have been going on for at least the last 10 years or more; and the planning for this day starts in early October when we start taking orders from needy families.

Q: What kind of feedback do you get from people who received the Thanksgiving meals?

Pastor Hoyle: The people we serve regularly show gratitude. They thank us for what we do here. We do it to serve and hope that we can help bring better days to hard situations. That’s what we do it for.

Q: Honestly, could you serve more?

Pastor Hoyle: There’s a little bit of a cushion built in, but not much. That’s why we have people preregister: for the costs and logistics of storing the food and to make sure we have enough.

Q: I understand you may be the most veteran volunteer involved in the Food Pantry’s Thanksgiving food drive?

Mitch Boyer, 63, who has lived in Saugus since he was three years old. He joined the Cliftondale Congregational Church in 1978: I started in 1995 and have been doing this for 28 years – and right through the COVID years without a break.

Q: How did you get involved?

Boyer: I came in here every Friday morning to make the coffee, and I eventually got recruited. I’ve spent most of my life in this town and I graduated from Saugus High in 1980.

Q: What keeps you doing this? What do you get out of it?

  Boyer: I feel like I’m helping people and giving back to the community for people who helped me. I’m on subsidized rent. I’ve had people who have given me clothes. The main reason I continue doing it is that somewhere along the line, somebody who I’m helping is going to pick up on it and help somebody else.

Q: How long have you been doing this?

David Odgers, 45, from Lynn, who has been a member of the Cliftondale Congregational Church since 2013: I’ve been doing Thanksgiving [food drive] since 2014.

Q: And what do you get out of it?

Odgers: I get a lot of satisfaction from this. I love helping people, and the people I help appreciate what I do. It’s my chance to give back to the community for the people who helped me out.

Q: Please tell me about yourself and what you get out of volunteering here today.

Sandy Milano, 84, a U.S Army veteran who is retired from the Soldiers’ Home at Chelsea. She worked as a clerk typist in Washington, D.C. She moved to Saugus 38 years ago. Her late husband was a Marine who passed away in 2016. She’s been volunteering at the Food Pantry for about nine years and also volunteers at the veterans’ food bank at the Saugus Senior Center: I feel pleased that I can offer my services here and say hello to people and help them. You got to smile a lot, you know. A smile goes a long way. And I love to help people who need help.

Q: What do you get out of being here today?

Madi Femino, a Saugus High School senior, and a captain on the girls’ soccer team: I’ve been doing this since the eighth grade. It’s been awesome and I love doing it. I just love helping people and seeing how happy they are and how grateful they are for what we’re doing for them. It’s nice to see people happy during the holiday season. I know when I’m off to college, this is something that I want to come back and do to help people out.

Q: Please tell me a little bit about what this event means for you and your team, coach.

Saugus High School Football Head Coach Steve Cummings: This is something we’ve been doing every year since I’ve been here, and we’ve been doing it before. And I think the kids like doing this. It’s an opportunity for them to give back to the community. Students can get community service credit for participating in this, but I think a majority of the kids we have here today have already completed their community service. I think it’s important for kids to come down and help out on something like this so they can understand what it’s like for people who are less fortunate. Being able to help out families like this is a good lesson learned.

When I was younger, I was part of a family that needed help. I lived in Brockton till I was 12 and moved to Marshfield, where I lived with my dad and my brother. We lived in a summer house year round and we had clothes from The Salvation Army. My father had a paper route that he got up at two in the morning to do before he went to work. So, for my players to come down here and help out is a good thing for the kids.

Q: What do you get out of being here today?

Braden Faiella, 18, Saugus High football captain, offensive guard and middle linebacker: This is my fifth year doing this. And it’s just great to help out some people who are less fortunate and need the help. I help to carry out the turkeys, boxes and bags of food to the cars outside. It makes me feel good just to help out people by doing something like this. And everybody we help is very grateful.

Q: What do you get out of being here today?

Tommy Desimone, Saugus High football captain, running back and safety: This is my third year. This town has done so much for me my entire life that I just like to give back to the community. Being a senior, I want to leave a legacy behind. This has become a tradition for us. We take tradition to heart and we want to carry it on as long as possible.

Every time I bring the food to somebody’s car, it’s always a wholesome moment. You see people smiling and thanking you. Helping people in need has been one of my favorite things to do as a football player.

Q: What do you get out of being here today?

Aaron Crawford, 42, of Concord, N.H., who became music director at Cliftondale Congregational Church in July: It’s about a 70 mile-drive from Concord to Saugus, but I’m just here to show the love of Jesus by doing something good for the community.

Q: How do you think things went today?

Debbie Hoyle, wife of Pastor Hoyle: We’re very thankful to everyone who came to us on this rainy day. We’re always encouraged by how many people who offer to volunteer and come together to help out. So many people have helped out this year. The Belmonte Fifth Grade Class did an awesome job with their food drive. A lot of people have been generous this year.

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