April 7, 2026 Newsletter
MARCH UPDATE
In comparing food requests in March versus a year earlier, average food requests per week are down slightly to 310 requests per week. Some of this may be attributed to early March snowstorms and some due to families needing to use the pantry less frequently. Only 50% of the families needed food assistance every week; 15% used the pantry once, 15% twice and 20% used the pantry 3 times in March. Also, we only had 6 families use the pantry for the 1st time in March versus 15 first time families in February. The drop in new families using the pantry underscores the importance of continuing to get the word out to the community that we are here to help our neighbors.
Given the snowy weather on Fridays in early March, we want to express our appreciation for our dedicated volunteer loaders and drivers who work outside in bad weather and average 197 food deliveries each week to families with transportation issues. They especially exemplify our mission of “neighbors helping neighbors”.
VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT
Ross Meinhart
Ross Meinhart has been volunteering at the Newbury Food Pantry since 2022, when he first got involved as a high school student looking to give back to the community that shaped him. Today he is finishing his senior year in college and still returns on vacations to help out at the pantry.
From his very first day—bagging produce, shopping orders, loading cars, and meeting both volunteers and guests—Ross saw firsthand the care and detail that goes into every part of the pantry. Since then, he’s watched it continue to grow and improve.
Today, Ross plays a key role on Friday afternoons, helping manage traffic, load cars, and assist with bagging. He enjoys being one of the first points of contact for guests—rain, snow, or sunshine—and appreciates the opportunity to connect with the community in such a hands-on way.
What stood out most to Ross was how welcoming and approachable everyone was from the start. Over time, those first introductions turned into meaningful relationships and strong community connections.
His advice for others is simple: volunteering is one of the most rewarding ways to support your community while getting involved. And for students, it’s a meaningful way to build experience while making a real impact.
We’re so grateful for Ross and the energy, reliability, and positivity he brings each week.
Newbury Girl Scouts Art Project for the Pantry
In February, the local Newbury Girl Scout Troop volunteered to paint our bagging tables with colorful images. Their inspirational focus was all about food insecurity. By using our traffic light system, they chose to paint images that represent nutritional food selections: Green (healthy) = Choose Frequently, Yellow = Choose Occasionally, and Red (least healthy) = Choose Rarely. The troop is working towards a Bronze award with hopes that this project will advance their chances of becoming Cadets.
North Shore Magazine Article
"Neighbors Feeding Neighbors: The All-Volunteer First Parish Newbury Food Pantry Feeds More Than 750 People a Week and Continues to Grow."
The food pantry was showcased in March's issue of Northshore magazine. The article chronicles how it all started many years ago when cofounders Jane Merrow and Sue Bocuzzo realized there was a great need for food assistance in the community. Please enjoy the full article by clicking on the link below.
Northshore Magazine
March 6 Food Delivery Delay
Early on the morning of Friday, March 6, we were notified that, due to a mix of wintry weather in and around Boston, the Greater Boston Food Bank truck delivering our order was delayed for a couple of hours. We scrambled to notify volunteers that we would need to change times for all four shifts for the day. Kudos and many thanks to all the volunteers who through their flexibility and, even with the day's miserable weather, made it possible for the pantry to operate with only minor hiccups. As we worked to regain our schedule, everyone performed their tasks with good humor and superb collaboration. Thank you to all our volunteers for their consistently outstanding efforts. Our volunteers make the pantry the outstanding organization that it is.
VINTAGE VINO FUNDRAISER
Tuesday, April 28, 2026
Enjoy great wine and food pairings!
If you like wine paired with delicious food, consider attending the Vintage Vino dinner on April 28th when Tom and Dee will host another fundraiser for the First Parish Newbury Food Pantry. This will be a terrific opportunity to try some excellent wines from top producers; all of the wines with perfect bottle age.
For more information see https://vintagevino.org/
LORETTA FUNDRAISER
Wednesday, April 8, 2026 starting at 5PM
Our Loretta fundraiser continues… Wednesday, February 11, 2026. Starting at 5 pm, Loretta will donate part of the proceeds to the Pantry. Plan on dinner out (take out or eat in). You'll see a lot of familiar faces as the community turns out to support our work. We suggest that you make reservations in advance.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!
As our work has expanded to help more neighbors in our community, our need for volunteers has increased. Volunteer opportunities include calling our guests to take their orders on Wednesday, staffing four shifts throughout the day on Friday to fulfill grocery orders for our guests, and assisting in the occasional Food Drive or other special projects on Saturdays.
Here is what our volunteers are saying:
"It’s a real pleasure to work in concert with such friendly, organized people. I loved the fast pace and the way the hours raced by."
"Such an awesome organization. So glad to be a part of this community effort."
"I really enjoy volunteering with you and everyone else at the pantry. It's such important work for the community and everyone is so welcoming and kind."
Come join us! Email Barbara at info@newburyfoodpantry.org to let her know you are interested.
FOOD DONATIONS
We accept food donations every Thursday from 9:30 am -1 pm. If you are not able to drop off at that time, please contact us at info@newburyfoodpantry.org or call 978-358-1077 to arrange another time.
You can also drop off donations in the lobby of the Newbury Police Department 24 hours/day.
Our most requested items include Coffee, Tea, Flour, Sugar, Baking Mixes, Cereals, Pasta Sides, Jello and Pudding Mixes, Jelly, Canned Ham, Spam, Broths, Soups, and Toilet Paper.