Rockland Trust Did It Again

All 70 branches and offices throughout eastern Massachusetts of Rockland Trust held a donation drive for our organization throughout the entire month of April. The first time they did a drive for SKIP was in 2006, so we knew that they would bring in a lot of supplies, but this time was even bigger!

Right now we have a basement full of supplies that will be sorted on May 22nd starting at 11 AM, more info below. So, the next time you see someone from Rockland Trust, be sure to say, Thank you for supporting our troops by doing the drive for SKIP. More care packages are being sent because of you. It would mean a lot to us, and probably make their day to know that you noticed.

Awards and Recognition

Along with our Founder, Tracy Stiers, receiving the honor of being named one of the 2010 Women of the Year for the city of Brockton MA. Recently SKIP's clerk, Nancy Spoerke, has been honored by becoming the recipient of the President's Call to Service Award. This award is earned through volunteer time equaling 4,000 hours or more. It is also known as the President's Volunteer Lifetime Award.

Upcoming Events

  • Storage Unit Scrub Down — May 15th
    • May 15th we will empty out, clean, and reorganize the SKIP storage unit that holds the care package supplies. This unit is at Storage Pros by the Westgate Mall in Brockton. The street address is 145 Campanelli Industrial Drive, Brockton, MA 02301.
    • A SKIP representative will be at the gate to let volunteers in from 9:30 AM until 10 AM. We expect it to only take a couple hours, starting at 10 AM, but it can be dirty work so bring your gloves. Water will be available on the premises.
    • If you arrive after 10 AM, please call (508) 472–1915 when you arrive and a SKIP representative will meet you at the gate. Any questions before May 15th, send an email to nancy@skipcares.org
  • Board Meeting — May 16th
    • 4pm 16 Appleby St Brockton MA
      Estimated length in time is 90 minutes
    • All board and committee members are encouraged to attend this meeting and bring ideas for summer activities, fundraisers, goals, and anything else you think is important.
  • Sorting the Donations — May 22nd
    • We could use any and all volunteers that would like to offer assistance sorting the donations from the Rockland Trust drive. As mentioned earlier, we have a basement full of supplies to sort, so it will take some time. However, even an hour of your time will help.
    • This activity will consist of separating books from DVD's, games, food items, hygiene, etc so we can prepare for the packing coming up in June. Some of the lifting will require volunteers with the ability to lift and carry up to 50 lbs, but there will be plenty of lightweight stuff for the rest of us.
    • The sorting is taking place at 890 Bridge St East Bridgewater, MA 02333. We will need help transporting and unloading it all at the storage unit by the Westgate Mall (mentioned above) following the sorting. Refreshments will be available on site.
    • In the event of inclimate weather, the rain date will be May 23rd starting at 1 PM.

Military Appreciation Month

The last couple years our clerk and her friend have put together some articles dealing with the military in one way or another; this year they have done it again. These articles are known to have been in honor of a specific date, a piece of history, or an explanation of why or what something is with the military. This month (May) is a time to recognize all that serve, including the families of our volunteer forces...our veterans...our wounded or ill. Please take time to view some of the articles, which can be found at http://www.skipcares.org.

Every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday a new one will be posted throughout the month. If you wish to view those of previous years go to: http://www.skipcares.org/archives/ and scroll down to the section marked Military Appreciation Month.

Dates To Watch For

We will be sending out information about the following events as the dates get closer, but feel free to mark them on your calendar today!

  • June 19 — packing party
  • July/August — fairs, parades, booths, Party Lite Party
  • September 11 — SKIP 4th annual dinner

Many fun and entertaining things coming soon. We hope to see you joining in with as many as possible! We can support our troops, they depend on us at home.