Dear friend of the Jonnycake Center of Westerly,
As we approach the holidays and New Year, I wanted to reach out to personally thank each and every individual, business, church, civic organization and group that has supported the Jonnycake Center of Westerly throughout this incredibly challenging year. Although 2020 presented enormous challenges for every aspect of our organization, we faced these challenges head-on, thanks in large part to our wonderful community.
We started the year strongly, welcoming new staff and volunteers to our ranks. We dressed to impress with our ballroom-themed "Ballroom Bowling Bash" on January 25th and bowled the night away at Alley Katz to fundraise for our Food Assistance and Social Services programs.
On February 21st, we celebrated with our friends and supporters at the 2020 Black & White Ball at the Ocean House in Watch Hill. This glamorous, fun-filled evening served as an important fundraiser for Jonnycake, and we were humbled to be selected as the beneficiary of this annual fundraising event. In early March, in collaboration with the Ocean Community Chamber of Commerce and the Education Exchange, we were pleased to graduate 14 participants of the Westerly Regional Real Jobs program's winter 2020 session. These underemployed individuals were given coaching and training to become successful job candidates in the modern-day workplace. Little did we expect that this would be the last class to graduate for the foreseeable future.
When the COVID-19 pandemic reached Rhode Island in mid-March, we were forced to take a pause on our Education, and Volunteering opportunities, we closed our Thrift Store, and focused on ensuring our Social Services office stayed open and our Food Pantry remained operational. Through the tireless dedication of Jonnycake staff and volunteers, we never had to close these services which form the backbone of our organization, and we were humbled to continue serving our neighbors in need any way we could.
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Although the temporary closure of our Thrift Store was difficult, the closure allowed staff the time to undertake a large-scale renovation and expansion. Thanks to a generous grant from the Champlin Foundation, the store grew from 5,300 square feet to 7,000 square feet, greatly increasing the store's potential as a source of revenue to help fund the Food Pantry and Social Services office. While the store was closed, staff carefully implemented policies that would allow us to safely handle some incoming Thrift donations and offer select treasures online through a new touchless ordering system.
Shortly before Memorial Day, we were thrilled to reopen our Thrift Store to the public. Shoppers were supportive of the redesigned store and worked with us to follow the new policies and procedures that were implemented to ensure hygiene throughout our facility. As we progressed through the summer, we carefully expanded the Thrift Store's operating hours and donation opportunities, making it as easy as possible for shoppers and donors to support us and help us raise funds for the Pantry and Social Services.
The summer also saw a reinvented Farmer's Market, offering no-cost fresh produce to neighbors and clients of the Jonnycake Center of Westerly. We reconfigured the Market to take the form of a "drive-through", which allowed us to safely offer sustainably-sourced produce to the community. Produce came from the Community Garden in Charlestown, which is newly-managed by the Jonnycake Center of Westerly.
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Following the success of the reimagined Farmer's Market, we applied the "drive-through" system to a Backpack Giveaway on August 24, held in conjunction with Wood River Health Services and Opening Doors for Westerly's Children. We also applied the "drive-through" system to our signature "Adopt-a-Family" holiday gift program. For 2020, public health guidelines would not allow us to accept, quarantine, sort, and distribute physical toys and food on the scale required for the program to be successful. Instead, we reinvented the Adopt-a-Family program to offer gift cards for toys and meals, distributed via a drive-through event over the weekend of November 14th and 15th. We also distributed free packs of face masks to every client, as well as high-quality new pairs of socks which were generously donated by Bombas. This method allowed us to serve neighbors in need without risk of compromising anyone's safety.
Over the distribution weekend, we provided financial assistance that allowed families of 498 local children to purchase gifts, and 1,214 people from 447 households received funds so that they could purchase supplies for traditional Thanksgiving and holiday dinners. Including the after-event waitlist, the Center served 1,511 individuals from 554 households, and provided Chritmas gift support to 632 local children. We are truly honored to play a part in bringing magic to so many local families and children who are struggling this holiday season.
All the above is only a partial list of some of the many positives that have taken place at Jonnycake this year. Although we have much to be proud of in weathering 2020, work still remains to be done to lift our neighbors out of crisis who are moving into 2021 with reduced opportunities and reduced incomes. To all who have supported the Jonnycake Center of Westerly this year, by donating during an appeal, shopping at our Thrift Store, telling friends about our services, donating wares to us, and volunteering your time – we thank each and every one of you from the bottom of our hearts. Your generosity has made a monumental difference, and you have contributed to our ability to provide food and emergency financial assistance to thousands of people in southern Rhode Island.
Thank you to all who have made a positive difference this year. We hope that 2021 will be a year of growth, rejuvenation, and discovery.
Please read on to find our latest news, hours, and policies across all Jonnycake departments. Please let me or the Jonnycake team know if there is anything we can do to assist you or someone you know who is struggling. We are all here to help. Thank you and have a safe, merry, and bright holiday.
Sincerely,
Lee Eastbourne
Executive Director
Jonnycake Center of Westerly
#SustainingCommunityTogether
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Jonnycake Center of Westerly December 2020 Update
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FOOD PANTRY:
- The Food Pantry is operating on a modified service model. If you have questions, or if you are in need of food supplies for the first time, please call Jonnycake Social Services (401) 377-8069 and select Option 1.
- The Food Pantry is currently open Monday afternoons (12pm to 3pm) and mornings on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays (9am to 12pm).
- The Food Pantry will be closed on the following days:
- December 24
- December 25
- December 31
- January 1, 2021
- Food Donations are accepted without an appointment on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays between 12pm and 3pm. Fresh produce and non-perishables are especially sought!
- The Pantry welcomes clients to its Power Pack program, which provides healthy lunches and breakfasts for the weekends to school-age children every weekend during the school year. Please contact Jonnycake Social Services at the info above to register. Registration is open and ongoing during the academic year.
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SOCIAL SERVICES:
- The Social Services office continues to be available to serve community members in need.
- The Social Services office is currently open Monday afternoons (12pm to 3pm) and mornings on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays (9am to 12pm).
- Social Services will be closed on the following days:
- December 24
- December 25
- December 31
- January 1, 2021
- Clients arriving for the Food Pantry or Power Pack check-ins, or receiving Vouchers for the Thrift Store, can visit the Social Services office during open hours for assistance.
- Most Jonnycake Social Services are offered remotely, but some on-site services are temporarily suspended. A staff person is available via phone during all open hours to provide resources or answer questions.
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If you are new to our services, or are in need of financial assistance, please call (401) 377-8069, Option 1, or email scote@jonnycake.org.
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Our Social Services department is collaborating with Age Friendly Westerly, an initiative among non-profits and care-providers to provide important information to older adults in our community. Social Services Program Director Sarah Cote participated in a PSA about community resources for local seniors. Watch the video here! Many more videos can be found on Age Friendly Westerly's YouTube channel.
- The Social Services department was pleased to welcome Maggie P. as a Social Services Associate in October. Maggie has been a wonderful addition to the Jonnycake family!
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THRIFT STORE:
- To protect the Food Pantry and the safety of shoppers, volunteers, and staff, new Thrift Store shopping policies are in place.
- Store hours are:
- Mondays: Senior Shopping: 9am to 11am
- Mondays: Public Shopping: 11am to 4pm
- Tuesdays: 9am to 4pm
- Wednesdays: 9am to 4pm
- Thursdays: 9am to 6pm - open late!
- Fridays: 9am to 4pm
- Saturdays: 9am to 4pm
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Sundays (during the holiday season): 10am to 2pm
- The last entry is given 30 minutes before the posted closing time daily
- The Thrift Store will be closed on the following days for staff to observe the holidays:
- December 24
- December 25
- December 26
- January 1, 2021
- With the likelihood of lines outside our building, and to avoid confusion in exiting, we suggest shoppers park in the public parking lot across Industrial Drive from Jonnycake. Shoppers are not allowed to enter or exit through our donation processing area.
- A limited number of shoppers are allowed in the Jonnycake Center of Westerly’s Thrift Store at one time. This number includes children and everyone in your party. We request that shopping trips are made solo, or with only one other person. If the store is full, arriving shoppers will be asked to wait outside.
- To gain entry to our building, everybody must wear a face mask that covers your mouth and nose. Face shields (without a face mask) cannot be accepted. No exceptions can be made to this policy. Shoppers who are unable to wear a face mask can contact the Store to receive alternate means of assistance.
- Jonnycake staff will greet you at the door to take your forehead temperature and ask a few questions about your recent health and risk factors. Answering these questions is essential to protecting our on-site Food Pantry, as well as the health of fellow shoppers, volunteers, and Jonnycake staff.
- Please follow the one-way arrows in our aisles and maintain 6-foot social distancing spacing when shopping.
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Follow the Jonnycake Facebook page to see daily discounts, surprise sales, and early access to certain treasures.
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THRIFT DONATIONS:
There are three easy ways to donate your treasures to Jonnycake, helping us to fundraise for our Social Services & Food Pantry:
- Drive ‘N Drop Open Donations
- Bagged or boxed clothing, shoes, linens, and small household goods are accepted without an appointment on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays between 10am and 2pm.
- There are no donations on Sundays.
- Large items or furniture must be donated by appointment only (see below for more).
- Please pre-sort and bag or box your donations by type (clothes, shoes, and linens) or (small household goods) and place them into the labeled bins when you arrive.
- Face masks and social distancing are required while making your donation at Jonnycake.
- Appointments for No-Contact Drop-Offs and Furniture Drop-Offs
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If you prefer to make an appointment to donate your item(s), please email ThriftDonations@jonnycake.org.
- Clothes, shoes, linens, and small household goods can be donated via appointment.
- Donations of furniture or large household goods can only be accepted via appointment.
- Appointments are available Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays between 9am and 3pm.
- On Thursdays, appointments are available from 9am to 4:30pm.
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Please email ThriftDonations@jonnycake.org to request a time.
- When you arrive, please wear a face mask and observe social distancing.
- Furniture Pick-Ups from the Jonnycake Truck
- Limited appointments are available.
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Please send a furniture description and pictures (if possible) to ThriftDonations@jonnycake.org to request a pick-up time.
- Jonnycake staff cannot enter your home. Please make your donated furniture available outside or in a common space.
- Only sellable-condition furniture (without rips, stains, claw marks, etc.) can be picked up via the Jonnycake truck. Please see above for how to donate household goods.
- Please never leave (“dump”) donations on our entryways after-hours or on Sundays. Doing so is a punishable offense due to the fire and safety hazard it presents to our staff and volunteers.
- All proceeds from Thrift sales directly support our Food Pantry and Social Services basic needs efforts.
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VOLUNTEERING:
- To minimize the number of people in our building, limited opportunities are available to volunteer at Jonnycake.
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To be added to the volunteering interest waitlist, please email Volunteer@jonnycake.org.
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FUNDRAISING:
- The Jonnycake Center of Westerly is following mandates limiting the number of people who can gather at one time. As a result, we had to make the difficult decision to postpone most of our public event fundraising initiatives for the foreseeable future.
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Visit our website jonnycake.org often and make sure you follow us on social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) for when we announce alternative means of hosting fundraisers.
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To make a financial contribution in lieu of attending a Jonnycake event, please email Bambi Poppick, Development Director, at bpoppick@jonnycake.org or call our donation line at (401) 315-4584.
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Click here to make a secure donation via the Jonnycake website.
- We extend our heartfelt thanks to every person who has financially supported Jonnycake since March. Your contributions have enabled us to keep feeding families in need and providing critical basic needs services.
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Browse the latest news on our website to find announcements of some of the support received from community partners and foundations.
- Join us in thanking the Westerly Lions Club and the Rotary Club of Westerly for hosting a Pasta Dinner Fundraiser at Westerly's Calabrese Club on November 18th benefitting Jonnycake! Thanks to these organizations' time and effort, $4,754 was raised in support of our Food Pantry and Social Services.
- THANK YOU to all donors who made our 2020 Adopt-a-Family program possible. Thanks as well to the wonderful friends, supporters, partners, businesses, and foundations who have given generously in the spirit of the holidays. We could not do what we do without you.
- We would like to call special attention to three fabulous young donors: Aila, Maisey, and Elsie, ages 10, 7, and 4 (pictured). These girls were generous enough to donate their Christmas money to Jonnycake, helping our Food Pantry purchase food in bulk and allowing Social Services to better assist neighbors in crisis. We are all inspired by these sisters' willingness to give!
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OTHER UPDATES:
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Before Thanksgiving, staff filmed a series of videos expressing in what ways we are thankful to Jonnycake this holiday season. View the video playlist on YouTube!
- If you haven't already, check out the Jonnycake Center of Westerly's most recent Annual Report, detailing our year of activities from July 2019 to June 2020:
- Printer-friendly PDF version
- Device-friendly jpeg version
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The Jonnycake Center of Westerly is a participant with Amazon Smile. If you're an Amazon shopper, next time you buy online, visit smile.amazon.com, select "The Jonnycake Center of Westerly" as your "Charity of Choice," and continue shopping as normal. After your purchase is complete, Amazon Smile will donate a portion of your total purchase amount to Jonnycake. This option comes at zero cost whatsoever to you!
- THANK YOU to the first responders, social clubs, service organizations, houses of worship, businesses, foundations, families, and individuals who have donated food, supplies, toys, and funds on behalf of the underserved in our community. Our hearts are full of gratitude from the generosity of our neighbors.
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With the holidays in mind, thank you for your unwavering support of the Center as we navigate these unfamiliar times. We are doing our utmost to continue serving and feeding our community.
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With great appreciation,
The Jonnycake Center of Westerly
Social Services | Food Pantry | Thrift Store
23 Industrial Drive, Westerly, RI 02891
(401) 377-8069
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