Dear friend of the Jonnycake Center of Westerly,  We hope this newsletter finds you healthy and thriving. At Jonnycake, we feel a cautious sense of optimism that the darkest days of the COVID-19 pandemic are behind us. We are eager to host events as soon as possible, reintroduce some services which have been put on hold, and return staffing to pre-pandemic levels! We have certainly been keeping busy in Westerly. The Jonnycake Social Services office and Food Pantry offered meals, supplies, and emergency financial assistance for community members in need throughout January, February and March. We hope that with effective public health measures, unemployment assistance, and a stabilizing economy, the crisis caused by the pandemic will in time subside. Despite continued progress in fighting COVID-19, the need for help still remains in Westerly, Charlestown, Richmond, and Hopkinton. Many among us remain without jobs or are living with reduced incomes. All of us have had our lives affected by fewer opportunities. Since March 2020, the Center has been unable to hold any public fundraising events, and we've had to operate with substantially decreased revenue. We have also had to scale back all our operations so that we could safely provide social services, food supplies, and wares from our Thrift Store. Together, these circumstances have presented one of the most difficult challenges our organization has ever had to face, and the situation continues to hinder our ability to serve.

If you can, consider making a financial donation to Jonnycake to help us continue offering food and emergency financial assistance to struggling families and individuals. If you'd like to be part of a larger movement, a great option is to donate to Jonnycake on Thursday, April 1st as part of "401Gives Day." Details about this one-day virtual fundraiser, powered by United Way of Rhode Island, are below in the newsletter. Any amount you can provide will make a positive difference on behalf of someone in need. Read on to find a general update on all things Jonnycake as we move from winter to spring. Whether you have shopped with us, donated treasures, volunteered, worked with us, have given to us financially, or have made use of our services as a client, we sincerely thank you for your support, especially since March 2020. You have kept us operational through what are hopefully our most challenging days, and we could not have done it without you. Please let me know if there is anything that I or the staff can do to assist you as we move forward. We are grateful to have you by our side! Lee Eastbourne Executive Director Jonnycake Center of Westerly

Jonnycake Center of Westerly March 2021 Update

401GIVES DAY RETURNS ON APRIL 1st! 401Gives, a state-wide day of non-profit giving, returns on Thursday, April 1st! This program raised $1.3 million total for Rhode Island non-profits in its inaugural year on April 1st, 2020. We were humbled to have raised $8,135 from this event in 2020, which enabled our Pantry to acquire up to 81,350 pounds (more than 40 tons) of food, and helped our Social Services office provide emergency financial assistance to neighbors facing crisis. Join us in making the 2021 401Gives Day even more successful! To give in support of our Food Pantry and Social Services, on April 1st, please donate through one of the following avanues: Our profile on 401Gives.org Our secure website jonnycake.org/donate-2 Donation phone line: (401) 315-4584 Checks can be mailed to: Jonnycake Center of Westerly, 23 Industrial Drive, Westerly, RI 02891 (please memo any checks with "401Gives"). Every dollar makes a positive difference for an adult or child in our community!

FOOD PANTRY: The Food Pantry continues to operate 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 at (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). Food Donations are accepted without an appointment on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays between 12pm and 3pm. 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. SPLASH Weekly meal kits are provided for students during summer break. Thanks to a generous donation from the community, the Food Pantry has an abundance of adult absorbent briefs available. If you or someone you know are in need of incontinence supplies, please contact us today. These are offered to the general public, regardless of client status, at no cost while supplies last.

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). 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. The Social Services office now offers vouchers for electronics and for children's activities from the Thrift Store! The Social Services office is pleased to welcome Maggie P. as our new Case Manager! Maggie joined us as a Social Services Associate in October 2020. She is available to assist new and current clients through our Social Services programming. Most Jonnycake Social Services are offered remotely, with some on-site services remaining temporarily suspended. A staff person is available via phone during all open hours to provide resources or answer questions. If you are new to our services, or are in need of financial assistance, please call (401) 377-8069, Option 1, or email [email protected]. Our Social Services department is collaborating with Age Friendly Westerly, an initiative among non-profits and care-providers to connect independent older adults with volunteer helpers in our community. To learn more about this program, please contact Jonnycake Social Services.

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 Sundays:10am to 2pm The last entry is given 30 minutes before the posted closing time daily 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, rain or shine. 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 will 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 through a contactless device. Staff will ask general screening questions about your recent health. It is imperative to answer these questions honestly to help prevent any potential spread of COVID. Please follow the one-way arrows in our aisles and maintain 6-foot social distancing spacing when shopping. Follow the Jonnycake Facebook page to see daily discounts, surprise sales, and early access to certain treasures.

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 If you prefer to make an appointment to donate your item(s), please email [email protected]. 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. Please email [email protected] 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. Please send a furniture description and pictures (if possible) to [email protected] 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.

VOLUNTEERING: Volunteers of all ages and abilities are welcome at Jonnycake! If you are interested in volunteering, or need to fulfill a community service requirement, please email [email protected] or call (401) 377-8069, option 3. Please note that all volunteers must fill out paperwork, and be given an orientation, before beginning their first volunteer shift at Jonnycake.

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 our public event fundraising initiatives since March of 2020. 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. To make a financial contribution in lieu of attending a Jonnycake event, please email Bambi Poppick, Development Director, at [email protected] or call our donation line at (401) 315-4584. Click here to make a secure donation via the Jonnycake website. We extend our heartfelt thanks to every person who has financially supported Jonnycake in the last year. Your contributions have enabled us to keep feeding families in need and providing critical basic needs services. Browse the latest news on our website to find announcements of some of the support received from community partners and foundations. We would like to call special thanks to an anonymous donor in the Westerly area, who has made two unsolicited $5,000 donations to our Food Pantry and Social Services; first in October 2020, and again in February 2021. The donations were both made in the spirit of inspiring others with means to give, allowing us to continue our most essential operations. We are incredibly grateful for this wonderful show of local support!

OTHER UPDATES: Thank you to all who participated in #ILoveJonnycake month on our Facebook page in February! We asked you to share a photo of your all-time favorite Jonnycake purchase, what you love most about Jonnycake, what your favorite deal(s) have been from our Thrift Store, and your best "upcycle" of a #ThriftStoreTreasure. The results were heartwarming and inspiring! Everyone who participated will be given store credit. If you submitted, please pick up your credit slip from the register before completing your next purchase in the Thrift Store. Contact us for details. 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, civic and service organizations, houses of worship, businesses, foundations, families, and individuals who have donated food, supplies, and funds on behalf of the underserved in our community. Our hearts are full of gratitude from the generosity of our neighbors.

As we chart our way through 2021, we are more committed than ever to offering financial assistance, food supplies, care, and affordable treasures for our wonderful community. Thank you for your support!

SUPPORT JONNYCAKE - DONATE NOW!

With great appreciation, The Jonnycake Center of Westerly Social Services | Food Pantry | Thrift Store 23 Industrial Drive, Westerly, RI 02891 (401) 377-8069 jonnycake.org

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