MARSHFIELD, Mass. — Kimberly Wilkinson says she feels blessed and is always looking for ways to share her good fortune and give back to the community that supports her business. Recently Wilkinson, who owns four Lapels Dry Cleaning locations in the Marshfield and Hanover, Mass. area, has started fundraising for the Marshfield Food Pantry.
It started as a fundraiser, where she pledged to donate $1 to the local food pantry for every order received in the weeks leading up to the 2021 new year and has continued by giving her patrons the opportunity to donate at her front counter.
“I chose the food pantry because it doesn’t single out gender, age, race, etc,” Wilkinson says. “It’s a place where anyone from Marshfield — and nearby towns, I learned — can come anonymously to receive food and everyday essentials their family needs.”
The Marshfield Food Pantry, operated by volunteers, has been providing food to residents in need in Marshfield and the surrounding area in need for more than 35 years.
“There are a lot of people who need assistance right now,” says Jim Hewitt, director of the Marshfield Food Pantry. “Thankfully, there are a lot of people like Kimberly who want to help.”
“The Marshfield Food Pantry does incredible work and provides an invaluable service,” says Wilkinson. “It’s expanded my horizons and got me thinking of other ways to help beyond the donation jar at our store, which we started after the initial fundraiser.”
Wilkinson and Hewitt also would like to raise awareness on how to truly help food pantries, both in Marshfield and anywhere else in the country.
“When you think food pantry, you typically think of donating canned, non-perishable food items,” says Wilkinson. “After meeting with the Marshfield Food Pantry, I learned the best way to help was monetarily so they could make the food purchases that serve patrons best.”
Times are hard for many people in our society; Wilkinson says she’s pleased that she found a way to help those who need a helping hand. “I’m grateful to organizations like the Marshfield Food Pantry for providing another way to help the people in the community.”
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