Milk Fund raises over $48,000 in annual drive
Amount ‘unbelievable’ given the pandemic’s impacts on fundraising, fund chairwoman says
WOONSOCKET — The final tally is in for the 89th Annual Milk Fund Appeal – and it’s one to celebrate, according the local charity’s organizers.
A total of $48,298.34 was collected as part of the 2020 Milk Fund drive throughout December and January, according to Milk Fund Chair Lisa Carcifero and President Dave Richards.
“That is just unbelievable; that’s so cool,” Carcifero said of the total donations collected during the drive. “Honestly, I thought we would be very lucky if we did $30,000, and the fact we have reached $48,000 is way beyond anything that I thought would be possible, especially during this COVID year.”
The showing of support from the community means the Milk Fund will be able to go ahead with its longtime role of providing a steady supply of milk as nutritional support to eligible families and seniors, according to Carcifero.
“I am thrilled we are going to be able to serve that to families and seniors,” Carcifero said.
The drive was able to overcome an inability to hold its regular public fundraising events under the pandemic due to strong support of the fundraising activities that could be carried out along with major direct donations.
The WOON Milk Fund Radio Auction, run through December, was the drive’s single largest contributor, having raised $12,409, but other significant efforts included the Milk Fund’s annual Good Fellows Day
collection run by the Woonsocket Lions Club, the Milk Fund Paper Bottle campaign managed by Bill Schneck and Gary Lapierre, and the WNRI Holiday CD put together by Jeff Gamache, Paul Jacob and American Beauty Sign Company.
The drive also received major annual donations from the CVS Health Foundation, the Hemingway Hamlin Foundation, the June Rockwell Levy Foundation, the Rhode Island Masons, Navigant Credit Union, the Woonsocket Teachers Guild, the Woonsocket Rotary Club, and small donors such as senior groups at local high-rise residences, according to Carcifero.
“They all sent us money, so thank you to all of them,” Carcifero said.
Richards – who served as auctioneer of WOON’s auction with Romeo Berthiaume and a list of guests – said he was “absolutely overcome and grateful” for the outpouring of community support for the Milk Fund’s 2020 appeal.
“To bring in $48,298 is beyond my wildest expectations,” Richards said.
He also credited Carcifero, now heading toward her fifth drive as chair, with keeping up interest in the annual charity even as the pandemic shut everything down.
“I place our success squarely on Lisa’s dedication, her commitment and her hard work,” Richards said.
He also had praise for the Milk Fund’s area supporters who always seem to do their part no matter the challenge.
“We didn’t do it; it was the public who supported the Milk Fund,” Richards said. “The public saw the sacrifices we were making for the Milk Fund and their sacrifices for the Milk Fund matched ours.”
As a result, the Milk Fund collected over $48,000 during the drive, a sum Richards said was just “pennies” off last year’s total of $55,000 given the circumstances.
“We didn’t do more than last year, but we did more than we realistically thought was possible,” Richards said.
The Milk Fund’s president said he sees his only contribution to the fund’s success this year was to advise against postponing the fundraising project when its organizers were discussing the pandemic’s potential impact.
“I was certain in my heart that we had to try,” Richards said.
And with the final tally in, Richard said the Milk Fund is back in business doing what it does best.
“People are already getting milk from the donations that were given,” Richards said.
The Milk Fund provides a weekly supply of milk to families and seniors in need through a voucher system operated by the Community Care Alliance, the charity’s administrator, and Li’l General Convenience Stores, where the vouchers are redeemed. The charity was founded in 1932 during the Great Depression by the Woonsocket Day Nursery and Children’s Home, a predecessor of Community Care Alliance, and The Woonsocket Call.
Editor’s Note: The complete list of all 2020 Milk Fund donations will be published this week in The Call, starting in Monday’s edition.