October 2026 Letter to Volunteers

Dear Amazing Volunteers,

I represented Aunt Dot’s Place at a wellness event at Essex High School this week. I talked with over a hundred individuals. I did a True/ False quiz of statements about Aunt Dot’s Place. If they answered correctly, they received a granola bar or Rice Krispies Bar. If they got the answer wrong, I explained why. Then they got another chance to win a treat. No one left without a treat. 

One of the statements I read to them was “Aunt Dot’s Place has many wonderful paid staff.”  Most students thought that was true. I would then explain that we have only one hard-working paid staff person, our Executive Director, and she is part-time. They were so surprised that all the rest of the work was done by you, our wonderful volunteers! 

Recently, our Vice President Jon Ophart, went to Essex Alliance and spoke at all their Sunday morning services about Aunt Dot’s Place. He was very well-received, and we saw a boost in giving from them, and some people interested in volunteering. 

It was great to see many of you at our Volunteer/ Donor Appreciation night. The food was delicious and it was great to meet with volunteers that we don’t always get to see, since we volunteer on different shifts or come to ADP on different days. It was fun to give tours to donors who had never been here. They are always impressed with how organized we are! Thank you, Kitty who got us organized from the beginning, and made those big signs, that match the signs in our back area. 

Aunt Dot’s Food Summary – compiled by Erika Gaffney

Food Bank – $1,046

Stores – $18,938

Milk Voucher – $1,095

Purchased Food (Pounds)

Food Banks – 795 pounds

Stores – 9,967 pounds

Milk Vouchers – 1,729 pounds

Donations from Organizations (Pounds):

Donations from Grocery Stores (Pounds):

Grand Total (Pounds): 25,439 pounds

Sincerely,
Sue Miyamoto
Board Member