September 8, 2026 Newsletter
VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT
Grocery Loaders and Traffic Control
Loaders (L-R) Jack, Larry, Joel, Mike
Loaders (L to R) Terry, Peter, and Barry.
Loaders (L to R): Dave, Mark, Glen, Al and traffic director Jack
Loaders (L to R): Kim, Jack (traffic control), Dave, Patrick
Top: Carol, Dave; Middle: Mike, Dan; Bottom: Bob, Allen
Missing from photos: Arthur
Every Friday teams of loaders and traffic controllers ensure that our guests receive their correct orders. For the morning deliveries, the loaders rely on route assignments indicated on each bag along with the guest’s name (and number of bags for the guest). They move orders from the bagging tables to a staging area organized by route and, when drivers arrive, help load bags into drivers’ cars according to their delivery sequence. The staging area is filled and refilled with bags multiple times to accommodate the large number of deliveries we handle each morning. For pickups, the traffic controller is the first person the guest sees. The traffic controller identifies guests as they enter the parking lot, directs guests to a pickup lane, and conveys guest's information to the loaders. The loaders move orders from the bagging tables to the staging area, confirm each guest’s name and their number of bags and move them from the staging area to the guest's vehicles, where they load each vehicle as directed by the guest. Together these teams make sure that Friday grocery pickups run smoothly during our busiest day of the week.
Thank you to our hardworking loading and traffic control team!!
Monthly Update
New volunteers have often commented about how smoothly the pantry operates. That is because the pantry operates with a spirit of constant improvement which means frequent changes to improve the way we do things. Our volunteers bring a wealth of experience and insights, and their suggestions have been the source of many improvements. Each week, the Operations Group reads any suggestions that have been placed in the Suggestion Box and discusses them. One recent change was the switch from 3 shifts on Friday to 4. The morning shift was long and tiring for several volunteers, and they suggested shorter shifts. Four shorter shifts gives volunteers who want to work longer the opportunity to sign up for back-to-back shifts while volunteers who need to can work a shorter shift. If you have an idea for how pantry operations can be improved, please use the suggestion cards and leave your suggestion in the suggestion box on the desk. All ideas for improvement are discussed and no names or signatures are required.
We are continuing to see an increase in requests for food assistance as Snap and other food assistance programs are cut back. In August, 13 new families with 25 family members began using the pantry. We filled an average of 315 food requests per week, up from 309 in July and 299 in June. We distributed 5,933 bags of food in August, an average of 1,483 bags each week or 4.7 bags per family. Each week, our guests are able to select from over 425 items, including fresh produce, frozen meat and fish, milk, eggs, yogurt, cheese, fresh, frozen and canned vegetables and fruits, personal care Items and pet food.
Bouquets from the Community Garden
If you’ve ever visited the food pantry in the summer, you have probably seen the community gardens. Plots are rented by members of the community to grow vegetables for their families. What’s really great is that whatever they can’t use, they donate to the pantry. In addition, many gardeners grow beautiful flowers. Once the flowers are ready, a small but dedicated group of volunteers spend time on Thursday afternoons to create beautiful bouquets for our guests. They pick a mix of flowers, like bright dahlias, cheerful zinnias, sunny marigolds, and even some basil sprigs for a bit of greenery. Imagine getting a lovely bouquet with your grocery delivery.
Many of our guests comment on how special it feels to receive that little surprise. It’s a small gesture that brightens the day of someone facing challenging times and shows the spirit of community support.
Byfield Cruise Night Fundraiser
On Friday, August 14th, the pantry was once again represented at the Byfield Cruise Night car show at Manter Field in Byfield. Allison and Brian did a magnificent job of cooking and serving hamburgers and hot dogs for hungry attendees. They were ably assisted by Justin and Bay. Through the efforts of these four volunteers over $1000 was raised for the pantry.
As you identify clothing and household items for donation, please consider dropping them off at The Lighthouse Thrift Store, Tuesday through Sunday from 8:00-10:00am, at 126 Bridge Road, Salisbury. Your donation of items supports us and other social service organizations in the area.
Click on the link below for more information.
https://lighthousethrift.org/ways-to-support
LORETTA FUNDRAISER
Wednesday September 9, 2026 starting at 5PM
Our Loretta fundraiser continues... Wednesday, September 9, 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.
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, canned pasta with meat, baked beans, jelly, canned ham, spam, broths, and toilet paper.