Whole Foods Market donated three hundred turkeys, a value of $12,000, to Harvest on Vine Emergency Food Pantry: the food pantry of St. Mary-St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Charlestown. The donation by Whole Foods made it possible for the Harvest on Vine to expand the number of families served to six hundred, a hundred more than last year.
Whole Foods arranged for the turkeys to be shipped to their commissary in Everett, where Harvest on Vine volunteers, Bob Rooney and Jimmy Burton, picked them up.
“It was like clockwork,” said Tom MacDonald of Harvest on Vine. “We drove to Everett, the Whole Foods team helped us load the trucks, and we drove back to Charlestown. It only took two trips.”
This generous gift resulted from a collaborative effort between Cheryl Bliss Waxman, on behalf of Harvest on Vine, and Lauren Derby of Whole Foods Market.
“Lauren Derby responded immediately to the food pantry request,” said Cheryl Bliss Waxman. “We worked together, and with Lauren’s efforts, Whole Foods made the donation.”
Heather McCready, public relations manager of Whole Foods Market, North Atlantic Region, said, “Partnering with and giving back to the communities we serve is something we take very seriously at Whole Foods Market. It is one of our core values. We are so pleased to have had the opportunity to work with Harvest on Vine, supporting our new neighbors in Charlestown this Thanksgiving.”
The feedback from our clients was enthusiastic. One pantry member emailed that the turkey was delicious. Another said it was the best she ever tasted.
Harvest on Vine Emergency Food Pantry thanks Whole Foods Market, and we hope this is the beginning of a long and flourishing relationship.