August 2026 Letter to Volunteers

Dear Aunt Dot’s Place Volunteers,

I hope you know how important you are and how much our clients and the board appreciate everything you do. Because of you, children are fed, adults don’t have to skip meals, and you decrease the anxiety that individuals and families experience around food. I can’t think of any more important work than what we do together at Aunt Dot’s. 

We had 328 visits in July 2026, which is the highest we have had in the past two years. We had 22 new families register this month. We also delivered to 13 households this month. So the need is great, and the work you do is essential.

The Governance Committee has been reviewing and updating our bylaws. An attorney is reviewing them this month. Our treasurer, Alice, reports that we are in good financial standing and close to our budget. The Finance Committee will soon be working on a new budget. Dan Tolle, who is on the Food Committee, is an inventory wizard improving an already excellent system. 

Kaki has been attending Catalyst Cohort meetings and learning about many resources and how other food shelves operate. This is one of the many unseen things she does. She will be hosting a meeting at ADP supporting other food shelf leaders on September 14th.

We invite you to fill out a brief Volunteer Survey if you haven’t done that yet.  Take a moment to let us know about your experience volunteering with us and share your ideas for how we can improve. In September, a survey will go out to our clients. 

Volunteers are needed for the 10th-anniversary event planning team. 2027 marks the 10th Anniversary of Aunt Dot’s Place! We need a few volunteers to help plan a special event to celebrate this important milestone and hopefully raise some funds to support our mission. Please contact Kaki MGeary at kaki@auntdotsplace.com if you are interested!

Board members are needed! We are beginning the recruitment process for new board members for 2-year terms beginning in January 2027. We are looking for volunteers who are passionate about our mission and interested in helping guide the future of Aunt Dot’s Place. Experience in finance, fundraising, marketing, or human resources would be especially helpful, but we encourage anyone who is dedicated to advancing our mission and serving our community to apply. 

Interested in learning more? We’d love to hear from you! Contact current Board president Amy Boudreaux at board@auntdotsplace.com or Kaki McGeary at kaki@auntdotsplace.com.

Also, Volunteer Appreciation Night is October 8 from 6:30 – 7:30 pm.  Put this event on your calendar. It’s a great way to meet other volunteers and enjoy some time together. 

Purchased Food: $16,695

Purchased Food: 10,164 pounds

Donations from Organizations (Pounds):

Birch Hil29 pounds
Celiac Foundation74  pounds
Corduroy& Pine Interiors200 pounds
Essex Alliance1,123 pounds
Grace Methodist15 pounds
Guy’s Farm and Yard52 pounds
L4 Collective176 pounds
Market 32 Bin112 pounds
Park Street Kuts14 pounds
Pepperidge Farms281 pounds
Poorhouse Pies380 pounds
Speeder & Earl50 pounds
Starbucks139 pounds
The Farm Upstream175 pounds
Town Meadow415 pounds
Tuberville57 pounds
Vermont Food Bank (Free)866 pounds
Whitcomb Woods101 pounds

Donations from Grocery Stores (Pounds):

Costco3,367 pounds
Hannaford2,378 pounds
Trader Joe’s805 pounds

Grand Total (Pounds): 21,902 pounds

Sincerely,
Sue Miyamoto
Board Member

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