Neighbors In Need

A full house. New friends. So much to celebrate! 💚

Thank you to everyone who joined yesterday’s Friendraiser & Volunteer Appreciation evening! A warm early fall night, great company, delicious food, and music made for a wonderful celebration—and helped us broaden our circle of friends.

We loved welcoming so many of you into our warehouse and offices for tours and sharing the work your support makes possible.

A big thank-you to:
💚 Rapscallion Kitchen & Bar for the wonderful atmosphere and pizza
💚 Los 3 García food truck for the amazing food
💚 Chris Desjardins for the music
💚 Our sponsors: Reading Cooperative Bank, Haffner’s, and Michaud Insurance Agency
💚 Our volunteers and everyone who brought in-kind gifts or made a monetary donation

Together, we raised $4,438 to help Neighbors In Need provide food, diapers, and other essentials to families throughout Greater Lawrence.

Let’s make it $5,000! We’re just $562 away.

It’s not too late to join in. Give any amount and help us finish this celebration with an even greater impact:
https://secure.qgiv.com/for/zftywu

Thank you for being part of this wonderful evening and helping us celebrate our friends and supporters, old and new! 💚

September has been a month for raising awareness about food insecurity and diaper need in our communities. Through Hunger Action Month and National Diaper Need Awareness Week, we have recognized families whose budgets simply cannot stretch far enough to cover groceries, diapers, housing, child care, transportation, and other necessities.

We’ll conclude this month of awareness with our Friendraiser & Volunteer Appreciation TOMORROW, September 30, celebrating the 550+ volunteers who contributed 13,000 hours of service last year and raising funds to keep our work going. 💚

📅 Wednesday, September 30 | 6–8 PM
📍 Rapscallion Kitchen & Bar, Lawrence
🎟️ Admission is free!

It’s not too late to RSVP—or simply drop in!
[email protected].

Can’t attend? You can still stand alongside local families:

💚 Donate:
https://secure.qgiv.com/for/zftywu

🤝 Volunteer or discover other ways to help:
https://needfood.org/get-involved/

💚 Make a Difference with Neighbors In Need! 💚
Join us October 5–9 for a meaningful week of helping our neighbors! Whether you’re delivering food or volunteering at one of our pantries, your time will directly support families throughout Greater Lawrence. 🙌
📅 Available volunteer opportunities:
🚚 Deliveries
Tuesday, October 6:
• 10:15 AM–12:15 PM
• 10:45 AM–12:45 PM
• 11:00 AM–1:00 PM
• 12:00–2:00 PM
Wednesday, October 7 | 10:00 AM–12:00 PM
Thursday, October 8 | 12:00–2:00 PM
👶 Diaper Pantry
Wednesday, October 7 | 12:30–2:30 PM
🥫 Food Pantry
Monday, October 5 | 11:15 AM–1:00 PM
Tuesday, October 6 | 4:30–6:30 PM
Wednesday, October 7 | 12:00–2:00 PM
Thursday, October 8 | 3:45–5:30 PM
Choose a shift that works for you and help us spread kindness throughout our community. Every volunteer makes a difference! 💚
👉 Sign up through Bloomerang Volunteer:
https://volunteer.bloomerang.co/volunteer/ #/join-party?k=b9979sbwkyuzqk
Thank you for helping Neighbors In Need provide food, essential supplies, and hope to our neighbors!

💚 What an amazing group of young volunteers! 💚

A HUGE thank you to the kids from St. Augustine School Andover who spent their annual Auggies’ Give Back Day volunteering with us at Neighbors In Need! 🙌

They jumped right in to help in our warehouse AND arrived with an incredible 92 pounds of food to donate! 🥫👏

We are so grateful for their energy, generosity, and willingness to give back. It’s wonderful to see young people working together and making a difference for neighbors in our community.

Thank you, St. Augustine Parish, for choosing to spend Auggies’ Give Back Day with us! We loved having you! 💚💙

🎉 ONE WEEK TO GO!

The Neighbors In Need Friendraiser & Volunteer Appreciation is almost here—and it’s not too late to join us!

Let us know if you plan to attend and how many friends you’ll be bringing: [email protected]

📅 Wednesday, September 30 | 6–8 PM
📍 Rapscallion Kitchen & Bar, Lawrence
🎟️ Free admission

Enjoy complimentary pizza and one complimentary drink, door prizes, warehouse tours, a cash bar, and additional food available for purchase from Los 3 García Food Truck.

If you are able, bring canned goods, diapers, or other essential supplies to help stock our pantries.

We can’t wait to see you—and the friends you bring! 💚

👋 Please join us in welcoming Hansel Zeissig to Neighbors In Need! 💚
Hansel is joining our team as our new Volunteer Coordinator through Merrimack College while completing the first year of his master’s program.
In his new role, Hansel will be working closely with our incredible volunteers—helping with scheduling, upcoming opportunities, and supporting the people who give their time and energy to make our work possible.
A little about Hansel: when he’s not working, he enjoys spending time outdoors, exercising, and watching movies. He’s excited to get to know our volunteers and become part of the Neighbors In Need community!
We’re so happy to have Hansel on board. If you see him at the office, warehouse, or one of our volunteer opportunities, be sure to say hello! 👋💚
Welcome to Neighbors In Need, Hansel!

Hunger is not experienced only by a small or distant portion of our community.

According to the Greater Boston Food Bank’s latest statewide report, a record 40% of Massachusetts households—approximately 1.1 million households—experienced food insecurity in 2025. One in four experienced very low food security, meaning household members regularly missed meals or went hungry.

At Neighbors In Need, we see this growing need every week as we provide food to approximately 1,600 families across Greater Lawrence.

You can support this work by donating nutritious food or by volunteering with Neighbors In Need.
https://needfood.org/get-involved/

Don’t forget to activate it your new chip/tap EBT card by making a purchase with the new card or calling 1-800-997-2555 to set a new PIN. Get more information at Mass.gov/EBT. // No olvides activar tu nueva tarjeta EBT con chip o de acercar haciendo una compra con la tarjeta nueva o llamando al 1-800-997-2555 para establecer un nuevo PIN. Obtén más información en Mass.gov/EBT.

📣 Have your new Chip/Tap EBT card? Don’t forget to activate it by making a purchase with the new card or calling 1-800-997-2555 to set a new PIN. Get more information at Mass.gov/EBT.

💚 Turn Your Time into Community Impact! 💚
Neighbors In Need has several volunteer opportunities available September 28–October 2! Whether you help with deliveries, support one of our pantries, or pack bags in the warehouse, your time will make a meaningful difference for families throughout Greater Lawrence. 🙌

📅 Available volunteer opportunities:

🚚 Deliveries
Wednesday, September 30:
• 10:00 AM–12:00 PM
• 10:15 AM–12:15 PM
Thursday, October 1 :
• 12:00–2:00 PM
Friday, October 2:
• 11:15 AM–1:15 PM
• 11:30 AM–1:30 PM
• 11:45 AM–1:45 PM

👶 Diaper Pantry
Wednesday, September 30 | 12:30–2:30 PM
Friday, October 2 | 9:00–11:00 AM

🥫 Food Pantry
Monday, September 28 | 11:15 AM–1:00 PM
Wednesday, September 30 | 12:00–2:00 PM

📦 Warehouse Bag Packing
Monday, September 28 | 9:30–11:30 AM

Choose the opportunity that works for you and help us finish September—and begin October—with kindness and community spirit! Every volunteer shift makes a difference. 💚

👉 Sign up through Bloomerang Volunteer:
https://volunteer.bloomerang.co/volunteer/ #/join-party?k=b9979sbwkyuzqk

Thank you for helping Neighbors In Need provide food, essential supplies, and hope to our neighbors!

Day 7 – SUPPORT LOCAL FAMILIES
https://needfood.org/donate/