Wednesday, November 18, 2015

People Helping People- Burlington Food Pantry

People Helping People in Burlington

People Helping People

Memorial School is partnering with the Burlington Family and Life Center to help out and donate to the Burlington Food Pantry this holiday season. We will be working closely with this organization to help support families in need this year. Please contact the guidance team for any further information regarding this organization. 

Memorial School Guidance Counselors:
Danielle Flaccavento- flaccavento@bpsk12.org 
Jamie Martin- jmartin@bpsk12.org






More about People Helping People


Our purpose is to establish a town-wide effort to provide assistance to residents of Burlington who have an emergency need for food, medicine, heat or utilities and to provide for holiday food baskets and gifts for children.


People Helping People operates solely on donations. 86% of donations collected goes directly to support Burlington residents in urgent financial situations.


History
url-2People Helping People began in the late 70’s when a volunteer from a local
church in Burlington saw the need for basic assistance within his community.
His outreach began by handing out Thanksgiving baskets of food from the 
American Legion Hall in town. He also gave gifts to needy children at Christmas
as the Burlington Santa. As word of his efforts grew so did the need. Another 
volunteer was recruited to take over as the Burlington Santa, and in 1980, a third 
volunteer began the Community Pantry. The pantry, operating out of the 
Congregational Church basement, supplied donated food to Burlington residents 
who were in need of food all year long, not just around the holidays. The
activities of People Helping People were funded largely by the Congregational Church’s Deacon’s Fund. 
The Congregational Church continues to be one of our largest contributors. In 1981, a Burlington Policeman 
found a mother and two children living out of a car. The Burlington Clergy Association was told about the
situation and made an immediate decision to help, not only this family, but others like them. They established
the Burlington Covenant for Basic Needs and turned to the Burlington Community Life Center to centralize the 
screening and funding process. In the early days, funds were provided mainly by houses of worship in town 
represented by the Burlington Clergy Association. As the need for emergency help grew in town, so did the 
organization. In 1988, these few volunteers incorporated People Helping People as an umbrella organization 
combining the Burlington Community Pantry, the Covenant for Basic Needs and the Burlington Santa, or 
Holiday Program as it is known today.

Board of Directors
Rev. Angela Wells, President, Email
Tom Killilea, Vice-President, Email

Gail Wolfe, Secretary, Email
Shelley Joyce, Treasurer, Email
Christine Shruhan, Covenant for Basic Needs, Email
Rev. Angela Wells, Burlington Clergy Representative,  EmailJo-Ann Gorassi, St. Malachy’s Representative,
EmailLinda Roscoe – Burlington Presbyterian Church Representative, Email
Judy Walsh, St Mark’s Representative, Holiday Program Coordinator Email
Janet Fitzgerald, St. Margaret’s Representative, Email
Tom Killilea, United Church of Christ Congregational Representative, Email
Gail Wolfe, Temple Shalom Emeth Representative, Email

Burlington Community Food Pantry
Jane McIninch
Christie Ventura
781-270-6625
burlingtonpantry@gmail.com

Covenant for Basic Needs
Christine Shruhan781-270-1961
cshruhan@peoplehelpingpeople,inc.org

Holiday Program
Judy Walsh617-797-6786
jwalsh@peoplehelpingpeopleinc.org

Fundraising Coordinator
Janet Fitzgeraldjfitzgerald@peoplehelpingpeopleinc.org


Mission statement:
People Helping People is a non-profit, predominantly volunteer support program.
Our mission is to establish and sustain a community-wide effort to provide assistance to residents
of the town of Burlington, Massachusetts who have a need for food, medicine, heat or utilities and to provide for
holiday food baskets and gifts for children.
PHP is the umbrella organization overseeing the Burlington Community Food Pantry,
The Burlington Covenant for Basic Needs and the Holiday Program.
As a community, we strive to address the needs of those who find themselves in difficult financial
circumstances by providing them with basic needs and more importantly compassion,
understanding and support.
Please consider volunteering your time to help make our programs a success.

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