Greening Greenfield/Friends of Reusable Bags want to thank the People’s Pint for hosting a benefit for our organization on June 20. They offer an amazing service to local nonprofits — creating a space for a raffle and giving beneficiaries 25 cents for each beer sold during the evening dinner hour. Thanks to Shea who did such a great job helping us with the raffle set up.
Also we want to thank all the local businesses and folks who donated gift certificates to our raffle. The Laptop and Computer Repair Shop, Inc., Greenfield Community Acupuncture, Thai Blue Ginger, Namaste, Hope and Olive, Mesa Verde, Fosters and Bakers. Also local author Jan Maher, who donated two of her novels, “Heaven Indiana” and “Earth as It Is,” Mary Pensak who donated two beautiful cloth bags, a repurposed feed bag and a repurposed malt beg she sewed, a package of Bees Wax food storage wraps donated by Louise Amyot, a necklace and earrings donated by Dorothy McIver, as well as books donated by Edie Heinemann.
The money raised will go towards our efforts to provide reusable bags to low-income residents of Franklin County when Greenfield’s plastic bag ban goes into effect in January, by covering supplies for making bags and ordering bags to distribute. There are a number of groups sewing bags, so far at the Senior Center at the Jon Zon, Catholic Social Ministries, NELCWIT and the local 4 H group. Plans are in the works to coordinate some efforts with the Bag Share Project as well. Also people are sewing bags individually with patterns and kits provided by Mary Pensak who works at The Textile Company Inc. at Power Square in Greenfield. If people are interested in sewing bags at home, stop in and see Mary, and if folks have reusable bags that are clean and in good condition they don’t need, they can bring them there. Eventually most all the bags that are made or donated will go to our distribution sites, which so far will be at the Center for Self Reliance on Osgood St. and the Family Center on Federal St. in Greenfield and at various Community Meals sites.
We also want to thank the Freedom Credit Union, Franklin First Credit Union, Greenfield Savings Bank and the Greenfield DPW who have all donated boxes of bags to our cause. Also to Greenfields Market for donating bags and the Greenfield Farmers Cooperative Exchange and the People’s Pint Brewery for donating feed and malt bags. If other businesses have bags with their logo they wish to donate they can go to the Greening Greenfield website (see below ) and click on the Contact Us button.
And thanks to Network Chiropractic and the Franklin County Brewery for monetary donations. We would also like to thank Big Y, Stop and Shop, and Coldwell Banker Upton -Massamont Realtors who we are in the process of working with.
Folks who would like to donate can go to the Greening Greenfield website: http://www.greening greenfieldma.org/donate and click on “apply to reusable bag project.” Donations by check can be made out to Greening Greenfield/FCCDC with the designation “for reusable bags” on the memo line and mailed to C. Letson, 29 Allen St. Greenfield, MA 01301.
Dorothy McIver is a member of Greening Greenfield/Friends of Reusable Bags.