The Society of St. Vincent de Paul of Lincoln and Weston has been distributing more and more food and other assistance in recent years — especially in 2020 at the height of Covid-19 pandemic and its accompanying economic disruption, according to data and an annual report provided by the organization.
Fortunately, donations have increased as well, though a shortfall of $7,384 in 2020 was covered by funds in the organization’s treasury, said Ursula Nowak, president of the SVdP of Lincoln and Weston. There were also new sources of income in 2020: a fundraiser walk, the photo projects done by Lincoln resident Corey Nimmer, and donations made by customers of the Codman Community Farms store when they check out.
“I want to give a big shout-out to the Lincoln and Weston communities, Codman Farm, and especially Corey,” Nowak said.
The food pantry is the most visible of the local SVdP Society’s charitable services and receives the bulk of targeted donations, but about 70% of its expenses are for emergency financial assistance to help clients pay for rent, utilities, car repairs, etc.
“If people donate to SVdP without earmarking it for the food pantry, we can use it where it’s needed most (the food pantry or emergency assistance). But if it’s earmarked for the food pantry, we can only use it for that purpose,” Nowak noted.
| October 2015 | October 2019 | October 2020 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households served at the food pantry | 19 | 63 | 92 |
| Clients served at the food pantry | 37 | 141 | 226 |
| Bags of food given out | 62 | 150 | 300 |
| Total expenses (food pantry plus emergency financial help) | $22,714 | $50,925 | $84,484 |
| Donations/grants received | $18,498 | $61,157 | $77,099 |
Numbers reflect snapshots for the month of October in each year. October is the start of the fiscal year for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul of Lincoln and Weston.