Milk Fund appeal eyes strong finish

WOONSOCKET – Just as they always do, area residents, businesses and organizations are doing their part and pushing the Milk Fund’s tally higher and higher.

Lisa Carcifero, Milk Fund general chair, said on Friday that she has been encouraged by the outpouring of support the 89th Annual Milk Fund Appeal has received despite the continuing COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on planned fundraising events.

“I think it is going great,” Carcifero said of this year’s drive.

“People are being so generous when it is a difficult time for people to be so generous,” Carcifero said.

Although the pandemic eliminated many of the fundraising events the Milk Fund has benefited from in the past, the Milk Fund’s supporters have found other ways to help out – whether that is participating the WOON Radio Milk Fund Auction or one of the other activities that were able to operate this year.

The Milk Fund Paper Bottle campaign is up and running in local stores and restaurants, the Woonsocket Lion’s Club held its annual Good Fellows Day collection stop at WNRI Radio on Diamond Hill Road on Saturday, and Piette’s Jewelers at

alnut ill 3la a is once again giving the Milk und 1 for every watch battery replaced under C29I -1 safe by appointment set up.

“So far we’re doing well,” Carcifero said while pointing to the Milk und’s most recent deposit from ec. 1 , , as bringing this year’s collection tally to 1 , .6 , up from the prior deposit tally of 6, .6 .

The current tally does not reflect the collections of this week, and 221’s Radio auction will continue through ec. , Christmas ve, Carcifero noted.

In addition to the auction, the Milk und has collected some strong support from organi ations like 1avigant Credit 8nion, unter Insurance in incoln, and the oonsocket Teachers Guild, Carcifero said.

1avigant 3resident Gary urtado and Senior 9ice 3resident Tim raper brought along a check for 1, when they co-hosted the auction with 221’s ave Richards, Carcifero noted.

Richards and his fellow auctioneer, Romeo %erthiaume, also announced another 1, donation that came in from the oonsocket Teachers Guild on another show and %rian unter of unter Insurance in Manville sent along check for 1, from his agency.

Carcifero said she is still e pecting several more large donations to come in from organi ations and companies that traditionally support the Milk und and will announcing those when they are in hand.

The creative side of this year’s Milk und rive can be seen in a fundraising move made by Jeff Gamache over at 1RI, a holiday song C he put together and is selling off entirely in support of the Milk und, Carcifero said.

“ e compiled a C with or 6 of his songs, and it is selling for 1 at 1RI,” Carcifero said. Gamache only made 1 of the C s and as of this week only about were still available from the fundraiser.

3aul Jacob helped Gamache with the proMect as did American %eauty Sign orks on 3rovidence Street, Carcifero said.

3art of the reason for the support seen thus far is the belief that the Milk und helps, according to Carcifero.

The Milk und was founded at the height of the Great epression in 1 , by the oonsocket ay 1ursery and Children’s ome, a predecessor of today’s Community Care Alliance, and the oonsocket Call as a way to support the nutritional needs of local families.

Today, the Milk und still provides local families and seniors in need with a steady supply of nutritious milk at no cost to the beneficiary.

ith milk costing much more than a -liter bottle of soda, a family might choose the less costly option over good nutrition, Carcifero noted.

%ut by getting a weekly supply of milk through the Milk und’s voucher system operated by the Community Care Alliance, the Milk und’s administrator, and ’il General Convenience Stores, children and seniors are assured their nutritional needs will be met, according to Carcifero.

“ ast year we raised , for the Milk und and we had Must left this year,” Carcifero said of the fund’s work in the past year.

In all “1 , vouchers were used,” she noted, a total that help families to get weekly assistance in putting milk on the table.

ow much the Milk und will receive this year remains to be seen but Carcifero hopes it will be enough to provide the assistance local families need.

“ e didn’t set a goal this year with the way it is with the pandemic, and we don’t know what we will get,” Carcifero said.

“%ut whatever it is, to me it is better than ero. A dollar is better than no dollars,” Carcifero said.