Important Update

After resurrecting the Franklin Food Pantry from almost closing its doors, Executive Director Anne Marie Bellavance has resigned to return to a career in Human Resources. In the 30 months since Bellavance took on the role of Executive Director the Pantry has become financially stable. The Pantry is now providing more food and non-food items to 25% more clients compared to the prior fiscal year. In keeping with the strategy of providing healthy food, clients are now able to pick up fresh produce every week throughout the year.

The Board of Directors wishes Anne Marie all the best in her future endeavors. They appreciate all the great work that has been accomplished under her leadership.

The Pantry will remain operating in the capable hands of current Pantry Manager Linda Sottile. The Pantry is open from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM Tuesday through Friday.

-- -- --

We believe in the power of community. Our mission is to connect the resources needed to sustain a healthy life. The Franklin Food Pantry was established in 1987. We provide supplemental food and non-food items to those in need in Franklin. The Food Pantry was housed in various temporary locations until June 2009 when thanks to the generosity and support of Rockland Trust, the Pantry moved to our current home at 43 West Central Street. The Franklin Food Pantry is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

The Franklin Food Pantry web site address http://franklinfoodpantry.org/

Help Support the Regrow Together Project

Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:

Help Support the Regrow Together Project

via My Earth Garden by Michael Nolan on 4/11/12

After living through the terrible tornadoes of April 27, 2011 in Alabama I wanted to do something that would make a lasting impact on those who have fallen victim to natural disaster. A few weeks later, an idea was born that is as simple as gardeners helping gardeners.

The Regrow Together Project works to connect gardeners all over the United States with fellow green thumbs who have been impacted by tornadoes, wildfires, floods, hurricanes and other natural disasters. While other organizations see to the important work of meeting immediate needs for medical care, food and shelter, we see it as our duty to bring hope to our fellow gardeners and help them recapture the joy and fulfillment of the home garden.

The Regrow Together Project is about more than rebuilding, it's about strengthening shattered communities by bringing community gardens to neighborhoods devastated by storm damage. It's about restoring a sense of pride and dignity where they have been stripped away.

The Regrow Together Project is supported by an ever-growing network of volunteers around the country who devote their time and resources to be harbingers of hope when thinks look bleak. Nature offers us a chance to grow, but it is up to us to Regrow Together.



Simply repairing a building does not make it home. The Regrow Together Project stands to help thousands of people impacted by natural disasters across the country by making their houses and neighborhoods feel like home again. It's bigger than planting a garden, it's supporting rebuilding efforts by cleaning up gardens and landscapes that have been damaged or destroyed.

There are already projects underway around the country, but in order to organize and garner the kind of corporate support that will help this project make the largest possible impact, we need your help. I ask that you please contribute to our fundraising campaign to raise the money necessary to incorporate Regrow Together and create a nonprofit organization.

You can join us on Facebook to meet other supporters and state coordinators as well as see the projects that are already taking place.

Please help, and share this link with your friends and family.

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Three terrific books about feeding kids

Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:

Three terrific books about feeding kids

via Food Politics by Marion on 4/9/12

Karen Le Billon, French Kids Eat Everything: How our family moved to France, cured picky eating, banned snacking, and discovered 10 simple rules for raising happy, healthy eaters, HarperCollins, 2012.
I blurbed this one: It takes a brave couple to move two picky-eater kids to a small French town and convert them to foodie omnivores.  North Americans have much to learn from European food traditions, and the contrast between French and North American school lunches is a striking example.  A must-read for teachers as well as parents.


Jeannie Marshall, Outside the Box: Why Our Children Need Real Food, Not Food Products, Random House, 2012.
I blurbed this one too: Outside the box is about teaching kids how to appreciate real food but also about how globalization is changing the way the world eats.  In this beautifully writeen book about what needs to be done to preserve food culture in Italy and elsewhere, Marshall makes the political personal as she explains how she is teaching her son to enjoy the pleasures of eating food prepared, cooked, and lovingly shared by friends and family.


Bill and Claire Wurtzel, Funny Food: 365 Fun, Healthy, Silly, Creative Breakfasts, Welcome Books, 2012.
I wasn't asked to blurb this one, but like it anyway:  Your kid doesn't want to eat real food for breakfast?  No excuses.  This book illustrates 365 breakfasts made of eggs, toast, cereal, pancakes, fruit, cheese, yogurt, and other good things.  These are presented as faces, animals, and toys so easy to do that even a time-challenged parent can whip them up in a second.  I can't imagine any kid resisting eating foods like these.    Silly, absolutely.  Worth it?  Give it a try.

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How to Make Homemade Fabric Softener

Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:

How to Make Homemade Fabric Softener

via My Earth Garden by Michael Nolan on 3/28/12

I never expected my post on homemade laundry detergent to become one of the most visited pages on this site, but even a year and a half after I wrote it I am still getting feedback and questions.  That confirmed once and for all that I am not the only one looking for more natural solutions to things like laundry and household cleaners.

While we know how to clean laundry with a homemade and natural solution, and line drying our clothes is obviously more natural and less wasteful than using a clothes dryer, I had yet to tackle the realm of homemade fabric softeners.

That changes today when we take a look at homemade fabric softener options.

There are two ways in which we use fabric softeners these days: in the washer and in the dryer. We're going to take a look at homemade solutions for both.

Homemade Fabric Softener

Hair Conditioner

One of the frugal options I've seen for homemade fabric softener isn't exactly homemade, but it will save you some money. Hair conditioner. Not the salon stuff, either. The big bottles are cheap and they work just as well as the more expensive fabric softeners.

Vinegar

Of course if you're wanting to go more natural (like I do), you might try good ol' white vinegar. A 1/4 cup in the rinse cycle will help to remove detergent residue and soften clothes at the same time.

Mix it Up

If you're looking for something a bit more hands-on, give this a try:

• 6 cups Water
• 1/2 cup Baking Soda
• 3 cups White Vinegar
• Essential Oil (optional)

1. Add water and baking soda to a large container and stir to mix.
2. Slowly add the vinegar and allow the chemical reaction to do its thing.
3. If you like, add a few drops of a favorite essential oil, but this isn't necessary.

use 1/2 cup per wash load

Homemade Fabric Softener Sheets

My main complaints about dryer sheets are:

1. They are made of polyester fibers or polyurethane foam, and that's bad for the environment.
2. They are wasteful and though considered to be disposable, will remain unchanged in a landfill. And that's bad for the environment.
3. The ones that work aren't cheap, and that's bad for the wallet.

There are several options for homemade dryer sheets, including these:

Aluminum Foil

A ball of aluminum foil will eliminate static in the dryer as well as (and sometimes better than) commercial dryer sheets. What's more, they are the ultimate thrifty, environmentally-friendly choice because not only do they last forever, when you do get rid of them, they can be recycled unlike dryer sheets.

Make Your Own Dryer Sheets

Instead of those plastic-infused dryer sheets, why not make your own? All you need is a washcloth or similar piece of soft cotton fabric and you're on your way. Fill a spray bottle halfway with fabric softener or hair conditioner and then fill the rest of the way with water.  Spray this on your clean dryer cloth and toss it in the dryer with your next load.

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Ensuring Food Stamp Integrity

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Ensuring Food Stamp Integrity

via USDA Blog by Kevin Concannon, Undersecretary of Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services, USDA on 3/8/12

Cross posted from Politico:
As agriculture undersecretary and a former director of state Health and Human Services departments in Maine, Oregon and Iowa, I know the importance of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as food stamps. In today's difficult economic times, this vital program helps families across the nation put food on the table.

Despite a rash of recent stories about food stamp fraud, the facts are that the Agriculture Department has a zero tolerance policy on this. We aggressively pursue those trying to take advantage of America's compassion for people in need.

First-quarter results of our anti-fraud efforts demonstrate this commitment. From Oct. 1 to Dec. 31, 2011, we penalized — with fines or temporary disqualifications — more than 225 stores that violated program rules and permanently disqualified more than 350 stores caught trafficking food stamp benefits.

We're now stepping up our efforts. I announced in December new anti-fraud initiatives. We awarded a 10-year contract to SRA International to develop the next generation of fraud-detection systems.

We plan even stronger penalties for retailers that misuse the program. We recently updated our policies to clarify that advertising the sale of benefits through social media is a violation and can result in disqualification from the food stamp program.

In addition, we're finalizing rules to deter the practice of buying and discarding food to get money-back deposits; or reselling and exchanging products bought with food stamp benefits to obtain cash or other noneligible items.

The Agriculture Department's efforts to combat SNAP trafficking have been particularly successful. Trafficking — the sale or purchase of benefits for cash — is an illegal activity punishable by criminal prosecution. Over the past 15 years, department and state agencies administering the program have sharply reduced such trafficking — from 4 percent to 1 percent.

But we cannot be content with that success — the people taking unfair advantage constantly change their tactics. We remain vigilant, working to stay ahead of these new forms of program abuse. We have stepped up documentation requirements and background checks on retailers who participate, or seek to participate, in food stamps. Stores that falsify information will be denied or disqualified and may face a $10,000 fine or imprisonment for as long as five years, or both.

The Agriculture Department recently launched a website (www.fns.usda.gov/fightingsnapfraud) to get the word out about our efforts to deter fraudulent food stamp activity and enlist the public's help in fighting it. We will continue to use all tools available, including the latest technology, to combat fraud.

Some perspective on this is crucial. There are 46 million eligible Americans who depend on food stamps, largely because of income, age, disability or job circumstances. Nearly half are children, 8 percent are elderly and 20 percent of food stamp households include a person who is disabled. The great majority abide by program rules.

The fact is fraud is a limited problem in SNAP — though no amount is acceptable. Stores violating the program represent less than one-half of 1 percent of the more than 230,000 food stores authorized to redeem benefits. And the recent fraud stories indicate enforcement efforts are working — as those who would abuse the program are being caught and prosecuted.

This is good news for all U.S. taxpayers and good news for those who use the program — including millions of children and older Americans — who depend on food stamps. Which, in turn, is why the Agriculture Department is committed to assuring the integrity of this vital program.

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Current needs

The current needs list of food and non-food items




You can also view the doc online here
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B0wjbnXDBhczWHRQNUo1YzRZTmM