Happy New Year everyone! Did you make your resolutions? And have you failed yet? It has, after all, been over a week! The typical New Year’s resolutions are to exercise more, eat healthy, and lose weight. Statistics show that only 8% of people who set out to achieve their New Year's goals, actually do so. There’s even a syndrome for this, called New Year's Syndrome! NYS is when you set goals once a year and then essentially forget all about them! I say ditch these lofty goals that are impossible to achieve! Set out to do something realistic like do a random act of kindness for someone, or volunteer somewhere. Complain less, compliment more. Cut back on screen time and get outdoors.

Whatever you resolve to do or not do, I wish you all health and happiness in this new year!

Donna

SKIP would like to acknowledge all of the people that made our Souper Saturday fundraiser a huge success. A special thanks to our super hosts at Tin Pan Alley, Paul Melanson and Jack Kelly who have hosted since 2015. Jack and Paul have a strong commitment to give back and help others. They recently sponsored Venezuelan immigrants that were flown from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard!  Our gratitude also goes to our local restaurants and businesses who donated 31 delicious soups this year!! Thanks as well to the stellar team from Seamen's Bank who managed the cash sales. Finally, a big shout out to all of the volunteers and board members that made this event a huge success. We love the community spirit of this town and appreciate your support! Be sure to check out our Souper Shots below!

SKIP SCOOP is starting a new series to introduce you to the SKIP Board of Directors. This 10-member unpaid group is a working board, so you will have seen them at SKIP often. In addition to working their regular shifts, board members meet monthly, serve on various committees and ensure that all aspects of SKIP run smoothly. In our first installment, we introduce you to SKIP’s Chairperson.

A native of Newburgh, New York, SKIP chairperson and Provincetown resident Philip (Phil) Franchini earned an MBA-Marketing from Farleigh Dickinson University and a BS-Accounting from State University at Albany, today known as the University at Albany. Phil has many years of financial, marketing and retail experience. He began his career In the New York office of what is now CPA firm Ernst & Young. He then worked for many years on Wall Street for securities firm Merrill Lynch, rising to the position of vice president of Securities Research Marketing.

Phil’s “second career” was in retail and led to positions at such legacy stores as Saks Fifth Avenue and Nordstrom, where he held both store manager and buyer positions. He also was a sales manager and merchandising manager at Calvin Clothing Company and other fashion companies. Throughout his career, Phil lived in the metropolitan New York City area, where he raised his two sons. In 2010, he and his partner, the writer-composer Jim Brosseau, moved to Provincetown full time. Phil’s children and four grandchildren are frequent visitors to Ptown.

As a newly arrived Cape resident, Phil became active in St. Mary’s of the Harbor, where he has sung in the choir. Later, he joined the Outer Cape Chorale. All the while, he sought the right fit for his interest in volunteering. That came when he first rolled up his sleeves for SKIP in 2012. After serving in several voluntary roles, Phil joined SKIP’s board of directors in 2017. He served in the roles of treasurer and vice-chairperson until being elected chairperson in 2019. He also serves as chairperson of SKIP’s marketing committee.

Rachel Peters may be the only true native Ptowner among our 90+ volunteers. She was born and raised in Ptown and has never lived anywhere else. Rachel grew up in the West End, in a house next door to the West End Racing Club and remembers when Victor's was a Dairy Queen. Her mother still lives in Ptown and one of her sisters is in Truro. She graduated from Ptown High School and began working with the Ptown Police shortly thereafter.  

Rachel was always interested in public safety as a way to help others, and as you will see, she lives her life to help others. She began as a dispatcher with the police and then had stints in the records department and as animal control officer. In 2000, Rachel attended the Plymouth County Police Academy and upon graduation became a Ptown Police Officer. She served in many roles with the police, including bike patrol officer, detective, and a special assistant to the District Attorney's office in Hyannis. Rachel retired from the department after 35 years.  

Rachel has been a SKIP volunteer for 5 years, but SKIP is only the tip of the iceberg for what she does. She is a Justice of the Peace and marries people practically on a daily basis! Rachel is also a Notary Public and performs this service for lots of people. She has participated in walks for Alzhimer's, Breast Cancer, Jimmy Fund, AIDS, Hunger, etc. and spent 10 years as a volunteer firefighter in Ptown. She's done Shop with a Cop, Santa for Kids, Homeless for the Holidays, and volunteered at polling stations.  

Rachel's husband Gene is also a Ptown native and their 2 sons, a daughter-in-law, and grandson recently moved to Hawaii, so add frequent traveler to the list of her accomplishments. Thank you Rachel for all you do for SKIP and for the entire community.  

On Thursday, December 22, Ptown schools teacher Amelia Rokicki arrived with her elves from the National Junior Honor Society, and their 5th Grade Mentees. They all came to SKIP in their elf hats or Santa hats bringing their bags of food from a food drive to donate to SKIP. Mary Ashley, Chair of the SKIP Volunteer Committee, gave them a view of the kitchen and told them what SKIP is about. The students met Gina Larkin, our chef, and said hello to the volunteers who were finishing the clean up.

As part of our partnership with the schools, the students also provided us with paper stars that they made, as well as holiday centerpiece decorations for each of our tables in the dining room. SKIP is so grateful to all who participated in these projects. Our guests and all our volunteers appreciated the festive atmosphere that they lent to SKIP for the holidays. 

JANUARY 10: Health Screening with Nurse Maralyn

JANUARY 24: Health Screening with Nurse Maralyn

www.skipfood.org/events

FOOD ASSISTANCE

If you or someone you know has food insecurities, please refer to the list of available food resources. If you’re unable to receive food from these sources, feel free to contact SKIP by email, skipfood@gmail.com, or by phone at 508-487-8331. We will do our best to aid anyone in need of food assistance.

HEALTH PROGRAM

The Program involves health monitoring by a registered nurse for any SKIP guest who wants it. A nurse will be on-site to check blood pressure, review medications and answer health-related questions. The program is completely confidential for every participant. Nurse Maralyn comes the second and fourth Tuesday of each month during SKIP’s season. The nurse will be available from before lunch at 12:30am until 1:30pm on those days. 

HOMELESS PREVENTION COUNCIL

The Homeless Prevention Council has office hours in Provincetown from 10 - 2 Monday, Wednesday, & Thursday at the Provincetown United Methodist Church. For more information, please refer to their website. www.hpccapecod.org/provincetown-community-support

CROP SWAP

It is a program sponsored by the Ptown Health Department, the Ptown Public Library and SKIP. Crop Swap is Ptown’s source for fresh, uncut fruits and vegetables and is open year round. Anyone may donate fresh fruits and vegetables, and all are welcome to take what they need. All fruits and vegetables are free. Please bring your own bag.

Crop Swap is located in the Ptown Library, 356 Commercial Street, to the left as you enter the front doors. Hours are:

Mondays & Fridays: 10-4:30

Tuesdays, Wednesdays, & Thursdays: 10 - 7:30

Saturdays & Sundays: 1 - 4:30

There is a refrigerator for perishable items and shelves with bins for non-perishables, such as potatoes and squash. Be sure to take advantage of this valuable resource. 

GINA LARKIN, Executive Chef| Paulo Salvador, Office Coordinator |

DIDIER CORALLO, Dishwasher/Utility Person |