In this newsletter, we are excited to share our Annual Report for Fiscal Year 2022. Please take some time to read about what we've been up to this last year. A special thank you goes out to the Jones Lippincott Family Foundation, FactSet, PCA, and the Greater Boston Food Bank who made generous donations this month to sponsor our holiday meals and support our ongoing operations.
Read MoreWith the changing leaves, October has brought some changes to FNSP. In this newsletter, we introduce Suzanne Rappaport, who is serving as our Interim Program Director until early December. Suzanne is a long-time volunteer who knows the ins and outs of the program. We are so grateful to have her support during this time! FNSP is currently hiring for the Program Director and Kitchen Manager positions.
Read MoreIn this newsletter, we are excited to highlight Theresa Lam, one of our regular volunteers who has deepened her involvement with FNSP by joining our Operations Committee as Volunteer Ambassador and ZS Cares, one our September Corporate Meal Sponsor Teams. We also spotlight Peggy Burns, a long-time FNSP volunteer and board member who transitioned off the Board this September at the end of her third three-year term.
Read MoreSophie Drozd,
FNSP Program Coordinator
I’m a student and musician at Berklee college of music studying media scoring. My favorite hobbies are drawing, cooking, and being in nature. I love FNSP because it strives to strengthen our community while valuing inclusivity for all individuals." Sophie manages the FNSP Clothing Closet and assists the Program Director during Friday meal service.
Welcome Sophie to the FNSP team!
The kitchen has been buzzing at FNSP this June! It has been great to welcome back some of our volunteer groups. The Boston Society of Civil Engineers brought a group inon Friday, May 20, to help out with the delicious meal that was sponsored and prepared by the Westin Copley Place Hotel. We also want to send a shout-out and big THANK YOU to all of our regular volunteers and board members who have been instrumental in keeping the kitchen up and running while we search for a new Kitchen Manager! They have jumped in on short notice, put together some amazing menus, and solved unexpected issues.
Read MoreA big welcome to FNSP's new Program Director, Hasani Gunn, who started his new role on April 29th! Hailing from Los Angeles, CA, Hasani is a Master of Public Policy Candidate at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, Fellow at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, and Member of Bard College's Board of Governors.
Read MoreWe are gearing up for our Spring Trivia Night. We hope you'll join us on Saturday, May 14, 2022 for some good food, music and friendly competition to support FNSP! Tickets are selling fast, so get yours soon!
Read MoreLots of exciting things are happening at FNSP this month! With the waning Covid-19 infection rates, we have returned to in-person dining for our guests and will be increasing our dining room capacity incrementally in the weeks to come. We have lots of volunteer opportunities for individuals and groups, and an in-person Spring Trivia Night on May 14, 2022, to build social connections and raise critical funds.
Read MoreWe hope that 2022 is off to a great start for you! We have been very busy this last month at FNSP. We prepared and served hundreds of hot, tasty meals during the holiday season and distributed holiday gift bags, winter boots, winter coats and grocery store gift cards to our guests.
Read MoreThank you to everyone who has donated to our annual Holiday Appeal! There is still time to make a donation and help us reach our goal of raising $15,000 by December 31st!
Read MoreAs we approach Thanksgiving, we express gratitude for you, our friends and supporters, who make it possible for us to be here each week for our guests. We also express thanks for the delicious, nutritious and comforting food that is made in our kitchen each week and nourishes our neighbors in need.
Name: Bryan Wyka
About: Volunteer since late 2016
Role: has done just about everything; currently serves plated meals to guests at their tables.
Name: Nancy Mercer
About: Volunteer since fall 2019
Role: Designed new FNSP website; works with staff to add new content and regularly update www.fridaynightsupper.org.
Name: Andrea Budiu
About: Volunteer since July 2020
Role: setting up bags and tables; organizing the FNSP pantry.
Fall has finally arrived along with shorter, cooler days and delicious cooking from the FNSP kitchen! We are excited to spotlight some of our volunteers in this month's newsletter. Volunteers are crucial to the operations of FNSP- without them we couldn't make, serve, and deliver hundreds of hot, nutritious meals each month for our neighbors in need. Volunteering at FNSP is also fun and a great way to connect with the community!
Jenny’s hopes for FNSP
FNSP may be a small organization, but it is mighty thanks to the brilliance and efforts of the Staff, Board Members, and Volunteers. As we look into the next year, I hope to see FNSP continue to grow offering new services to our guests and building partnerships in the local community to further support our mission "to provide a warm nutritious meal to anyone in need in a safe and dignified environment every Friday night".
Read MoreThe summer is passing quickly in Boston and we have lots of news to share since our June newsletter. We had a very successful reopening for in-person dining starting on June 25th! Our staff and volunteers have been thrilled to welcome guests back for in-person dining which allows for more community building. We even reinstituted "ice cream night" sponsored by Ben & Jerry's on the last Friday of the month.
Read MoreFriday Night Supper Program can rightfully be called one of Back Bay’s most-consistent unsung heroes, faithfully serving hot, nutritious meals once a week since 1984 to Boston’s homeless and extremely low-income residents from the Arlington Street Church, and after pivoting to providing hot to-go meals during the pandemic, it will resume offering seated, family-style dinners at the church again Friday, June 25.
Read MoreBoston, June 3, 2021 – Friday Night Supper Program is one of 140 local nonprofits to receive grants of $100,000 to $500,000 each through Cummings Foundation’s $25 Million Grant Program. The Boston - based organization was chosen from a total of 590 applicants during a competitive review process. It will receive $100,000 over 10 years.
We also received some very exciting and generous funding news this month! FNSP was selected to receive a $100,000 grant from the Cummings Foundation paid over 10 years! We also received a $5,000 grant from the Cabot Family Charitable Trust. AND, one of our former volunteers, Peter Zalewski, donated funds to purchase a new food warmer for the kitchen.
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