by Cathy Slade

It’s been said there are not too many people around who would take on the responsibilities of running the Roslindale Food Pantry on a volunteer basis, the way Carole Poole does. For the past 20 years, Carole has overseen the full operation, from raising money, ordering supplies, seeking and supervising volunteers, and making sure that the pantry takes care of all those in need.

The Food Pantry is located at the Roslindale Congregational Church, 25 Cummins Highway and is open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. There you will find Carole, sitting at an old wooden desk, on which is a very large jar full of candy. She greets clients and dispenses sweets to all who have a sweet tooth.

You only have to come by once, and she’ll remember your name. She has a great memory and would undoubtedly be able to recall your story if you cared to share it with her. Carole though, will not share your story with others. Anonymity is the name of the game at the pantry.

Before Carole became involved, her daughter Penny was the church secretary whose duties included the food pantry. Carole has been at the pantry since the day Penny called her, seeking assistance because they had only fifty turkeys to give away and 200 people waiting in line to receive one. Carole’s solution was easy. She drove to the church, got out of her car, and sent everyone home! She’s been in charge ever since. Her husband Ron is her steady right-hand man. He devotes as much time and energy to the effort as she does. They are quite a team.

When the food pantry opened about 25 years ago Tom Nolan was the church’s pastor. The facility had one white cabinet and one married couple who bought the food and stuffed the bags. People were allowed to ring the bell of the church and get one bag of food with WIC coupons while the pastor or secretary was in. At the time, the pantry served only 23 clients a month.

Now, a few rooms of the church are designated for food storage and a number of volunteers help. The pantry is open two times a week for 534 families who receive three bags of food twice a month. Ron Poole estimates that on average, 2600 pounds of food are given to the needy every month.

It is quite an operation to run the food pantry, and quite amazing that it is staffed entirely by volunteers. Not one person is paid even a small stipend for his/her commitment.

Carole orders the food from the Boston Food Bank, which is paid for it.

Surplus food is dropped off to the Food Bank by local supermarkets, and food pantries pay $.12 a pound for it. Ron and Eddie Seales rent a truck at a cost of $60 for the monthly trip to pick up and deliver the food to the church.

Volunteer Sheila Deeley takes her three-year-old son Connor with her to Roche Bros. Supermarket to pick up food donated by customers as they pass the cashier’s checkout line. Food is delivered from local churches and schools that conduct food drives, some more frequently than others.

They include St John Chrysostom, Holy Name, Roslindale Baptist, Bethany Methodist, Emmanuel Episcopal, and the Theodore Parker Church.

On Tuesdays and Thursdays, volunteers report for duty at 9:30 a.m. to sort food and pack bags with enough to feed a family of four three meals a day for three to four days. Everything is set to go by 3:00 p.m. when clients being to arrive. The day ends at 5:00 p.m., when the volunteers clean up and head home. Recipients receive mostly staples, but, for the first two weeks of the month, fresh produce, milk, and frozen meats are available.

For Carole and Ron, there are extra responsibilities that require their time to run a clean, healthy food pantry. Ron had to take classes to become a registered shopper, and Carole takes mandatory classes periodically on food handling and safety.

Carole states flat out that she is not a fundraiser. She writes and receives a grant once a year from Project Bread. Other funding is contributed by the local Rotary and Kiwanis Clubs, the Roslindale Board of Trade, St. John Chrysostom Parish, and generous individuals.

During the holiday season, giving increases. Emily Saia asks her dance students to donate to the pantry rather than give a teacher’s gift to her, and many individuals arrive with food, frozen turkeys, and checks.

Of course, it will surprise no one that Roche Bros. Supermarket makes cash contributions and gives 450 turkeys at Thanksgiving and Christmas.

It is interesting to note that the food pantry is run independently of the Roslindale Congregational Church. The pantry has its own telephone number due to the high volume of calls it receives. The church is very generous in donating space and very supportive of the program.

Roslindale is a community blessed with so many philantrhopic people who support those less fortunate through the food pantry. However, no one in the community is more generous with time and energy than supreme volunteers, Carole and Ron Poole. Jointly, they log in at least 175 hours a month. They are assisted by a cadre of dedicated volunteers who put in at least 60 hours a month, each. These super volunteers are Jean Bachofner, Rosemary Boynton Braverman, Sheila Deeley and young Connor, Virginia Flagg, Anna Hayes, Peggy Linehan, Brian Manning, Rosemary McPhail, Eddie Seales, and Elders Jordan Warr and Diego Moreira of the Church of Mormon.

For Carole Poole, this is a “job” that she loves and from which she hopes to never retire. She loves people and loves helping people. She says that working with the volunteers is super.

The community of Roslindale is much richer because of her contributions and those of her husband. Let’s pray for divine intercession, so that neither one of them ever retires.

Note: Income eligibility and a referral from a social service agency are required to receive food from the pantry. For more information, please call the Roslindale Food Pantry at (617) 325-9755.