2013 Food Elves captains Haley Frank and Cameron Piana with Erin Lynch, Food Pantry Executive Director (center) |
Franklin Food Elves Launch ’12 Days of Donating’ Campaign
The Franklin Food Elves and the Downtown Partnership will
launch the “12 Days of Donating” food drive to benefit the Franklin Food Pantry
at the annual Holiday Stroll on Thursday, December 4, at the 4 p.m.
tree-lighting ceremony.
The charitable community service group’s goal each year is
to collect 1,200 pounds of food and $1,200 in 12 days to benefit the Franklin
Food Pantry. The campaign will run from December 1 through December 12. Along
with a food bin set up at the tree ceremony on the Dean College campus, the
Elves are placing red bins at local business locations where people can drop
off non-perishable food items.
If the Food Elves reach their goal and collect 1,200 pounds
of food, participating businesses pledge an additional $1,200 in matching
funds. Franklin Food Elves co-founders Melissa and Cameron Piana and the FDP hope
that the community will support the Food Pantry by helping them reach this
goal.
Over the past 4 years the organization has surpassed their
original 1,200-pound goal, and last year 75 elves, together with Partnership businesses,
collected more than three tons of food donations to support the Franklin Food
Pantry. The organization hopes to increase business participation this year
again.
If you are interested in participating in the Food Elves’ campaign
as a business or as a volunteer, please contact the Partnership at downtown.Franklin@yahoo.com.
Volunteers can contact the Food Elves directly at Franklinfoodelves@yahoo.com. For more information about the Franklin Food
Pantry and what items are needed, please go to their website, www.franklinfoodpantry.org/.