Dear Volunteers,
Heraclitus, an ancient Greek philosopher said that ”The only constant is change.” Aunt Dot’s Place is potentially facing a lot of change. The board recently learned that the property which includes Aunt Dot’s Place, the preschool, and Sweet Scoops is up for sale.
We don’t know if it will sell, when it will sell and how that will affect us. Our rent could go up, or new owners may not want us here as they may have a different plan for the building. So, we are in a place of uncertainty.
The board has decided to begin a search for a new building, in case that is needed. We are looking for a 3000 square feet building with plenty of parking, most likely in Essex or Essex Junction. If you know of any commercial buildings that might meet our needs, please let us know. In the meantime, we keep our focus on our clients, we work hard, and keep a positive mindset.
Some other news!
- A group called the L4 Collective Cole is organizing to plant and harvest vegetables for Aunt Dot’s Place. If you are interested in volunteering to prepare plots and plant crops, there is a meeting this Saturday, August 5th at 10:00am at West Street Gardens, in Essex Junction. They are hoping to quickly raise funds, enlist volunteers, and get the plants in the ground. Come join me Saturday morning if you are interested in participating in this.
- Aunt Dot’s Place had a table at the National Night Out, on August 1. We received about one hundred pounds of food at this event. We are very thankful to the Essex Police Department for their generosity to us, and are thankful to community members who brought food, cleaning supplies, and personal items for our clients.
- Aunt Dot’s Place will be participating in Explore Essex, which is from September 30 – October 7. We will let you know more when we find out more details.
- We are incredibly grateful for a grant of $19,620.25 from the Town of Essex, the largest grant they gave out.
July 2023
Purchased food- $8,473.00
Weight of Purchased food – 6125 pounds
Donations from organizations:
- Bimbo Bread – 124 pounds
- Cambridge Market – 27 pounds
- Essex Alliance – 824 pounds
- Essex Rotary – 49 pounds
- Grace United Methodist – 16 pounds
- Pepperidge Farm – 65 pounds
- Pinecrest Senior Center – 157 pounds
- Poorhouse Pies – 94 pounds
- Price Chopper bin – 368 pounds
- Twincraft – 61 pounds
Donations from Grocery Stores
- Costco – 1105 pounds
- Hannaford – 1829 pounds
- Trader Joe’s – 1551
We currently serve 266 active households. We are seeing 11 percent increase in visits, and we do it all by our wonderful volunteers and our one paid employee! We are meeting a vital need for our clients and I am so proud of all of you and the work you do.
Sincerely,
Sue Miyamoto
Board President