Souper Bowl of Caring: Please Support the Food Pantry

No matter which team is your favorite for the upcoming Super Bowl XLVIII on February 2, 2014, we all win when we cheer on the Wakefield Interfaith Food Pantry (WIFP) during the Souper Bowl of Caring drive!

WIFP is encouraging everyone in the community to collect monetary donations and much needed food items to stock the pantry shelves during The Souper Bowl of Caring,a national endeavor to use the energy of the Super Bowl to mobilize youth in a united effort to care for people in their local communities who are in need. Super Bowl weekend – the first Sunday in February – can be nation's largest celebration of giving and serving – if we all participate!

To spark donations, WIFP is asking businesses to offer special promotions to their clients and congregations and other organizations to communicate the effort to their members. In addition, families and friends who host Super Bowl parties are encouraged to ask their guests to make financial donations or bring a couple of cans of food to the get-togethers on February 2, 2014, Super Bowl Sunday.  Most needed food items include shelf stable milk, brand cereal, jarred spaghetti sauce, canned fruit, coffee, canned chicken, mayonnaise, beef stew and baked beans.

Pantry clients are our neighbors who are facing challenging financial situations, often caused by a job layoff, low wages, a disabling accident, the high cost of medical care or skyrocketing bills.  Over 500 families, made up of approximately 900 individuals, rely on the pantry for supplemental food and household necessities each year.  Nearly 20% of these families are elderly and close to 40% are families with children.  Donations are of great importance especially during the winter months when there tend to be fewer food drives.

Monetary donations are also greatly needed and appreciated.  At the Americal Civic Center, the pantry has appropriate storage to utilize the extensive bulk purchasing power of the Greater Boston Food Bank  - enabling pantry volunteers to obtain additional food at very low cost. In fact, with a one-dollar donation, the food pantry can purchase more than four dollars worth of food for our neighbors in need.

Food items collected can be dropped off at the WIFP Drop Off Box located on the lower level of the Americal Civic Center during open hours or at the Town Hall Drop Off Box. (Be sure that you don’t donate food that has expired!) Any financial donations can be mailed to the Wakefield Interfaith Food Pantry at P.O. Box 1624, Wakefield, MA 01880.

For more information about participating in The Souper Bowl of Caring at the Wakefield Interfaith Food Pantry, please email the WIFP at fooddrive@wifoodpantry.org.