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November 25, 2009

Letter: Holiday parade a chance to help neighbors in need

To the editor:

Hard to believe, but it is time once again for the Beverly Holiday Parade and the start of the winter holiday season. And that means it is also time for the Middle School Fellowship from the First Baptist Church in Beverly to walk the parade route with its now-famous Mac-and-Cheese box, collecting canned goods and food donations for Beverly Bootstraps Food Pantry.

Our middle-school group draws young people from all over the community, and from various faith traditions, and year after year they commit to walking in the Beverly parade to help support the very important work done by Beverly Bootstraps and to help collect food so that friends and neighbors have food to put on their tables each night.

As people's needs increase, as income levels dip and food costs and heating bills become harder and harder to pay, demand at Beverly Bootstraps rises. The shelves of the Food Pantry become harder to keep filled.

That is where all of you come in. By bringing donations of food to the holiday parade and placing them in one of the shopping carts being pushed by the young people from First Baptist Church, you help Beverly Bootstraps help others. You help keep the shelves of the Food Pantry full during what is, without question, the busiest season of the year for them.

You help your friends and neighbors in our community stay safe and healthy during this winter season.

Of course many different types of food donations are greatly appreciated, but some of the most important and useful items that you can donate are peanut butter, any type of pasta (including, of course, mac and cheese!), canned tuna, oatmeal or cereals. All types of canned fruits and vegetables are also wonderful to receive.

So come out to the parade and look for our youth with their blue box and their First Baptist Church sweatshirts. Wave them down and put a can or two in their carts.

Last year your response to their efforts was incredibly generous, and an unprecedented amount of food was collected during the parade.

Our hope is that we can continue to do better, to collect even more food for the food pantry, and bring more help and hope to our friends and neighbors in times of need.

Rev. Julie Flowers

Minister, First Baptist Church

Beverly

(Editor's note: The 62nd annual parade travels through downtown Beverly on Sunday.)

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