NOVEMBER 2023
PagE 11
Medline major supporter of Food Pantry The all-volunteer People First Food Pantry has served students in Uxbridge Public Schools with emergency backpacks packed with food that those in need can take home for the weekend for the past year. Need is growing, according to Deb Blackburn, a local resident who has volunteered with the People’s Pantry of Uxbridge for more than 10 years: “The numbers of people signed up for programs are steadily increasing,” Blackburn says. Local school personnel identify who will receive the backpacks and communicate how many they will need to the food pantry each week. The program provides a backpack full of food for the weekend for students with emergency need for food. Since the program began almost exactly a year ago, students in need have received more than 600 backpacks full of food. The backpacks generally include enough for five meals, from mac and cheese and soup to a cereal box, juice boxes and snacks. Pantry volunteers also periodically add toothpaste and shampoo. Medline Foundation is supporting the program, but more assistance would help the all-volunteer group to feed more students and possibly their families, Blackburn said. She’d like to see
Clint Sabin, Medline Senior Manager for Public Affairs; and Deb Blackburn, People First Food Pantry board member. $5,000 more earmarked to provide food for all the students who need it. In addition to the backpack program,
the core service of the all-volunteer pantry is to provide local families a week's worth of pre-packed boxes full of non-perishable foods such as pasta, sauce, cereal, vegetables, soups, as well as frozen foods, baked goods, paper goods and personal care items. Worcester County Food Bank plus state and federal programs provide food. About 70 volunteers help with delivery, packing, and other roles. Their community programs also include annual food drives, along with Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas meal distribution and a holiday gift program. Medline was most recently named to the Forbes America’s Best Large Employers and Best Employers for Women lists, and was recognized for the 12th year by Chicago Tribune as a Top Workplace. Headquartered in Northfield, Ill., Medline has 35,000+ employees worldwide and operates in over 125 countries and territories. Learn more at www.medline.com.
Intrepid Readers to discuss Paulsen’s “This Side of Wild” The Intrepid readers book group, at the Simon Fairfield Public Library, 290 Main Street, Douglas, will meet next on Tuesday, November 14th at 6:30 PM to discuss Gary Paulsen's “This Side of Wild”. The author shares true stories about his relationship with animals, highlighting their compassion, intellect, intuition, and sense of adventure. Paulsen competed in two Iditarods, survived the Minnesota wilderness, and climbed the Bighorns. None of this would have been possible without his
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truest companion: his animals. Through his interactions with dogs, horses, birds, and more, he has been struck with the belief that animals know more than we may fathom. The library has access to different formats for the book, in hardcover, as an eBook and CD audio. Call the library at 508-476-2695 with questions or to borrow a title. All are welcomed to join us. refreshments will be served that compliment these wild adventures.
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