Day: October 9, 2020

I was honored to be in attendance yesterday, at The Open Door, as Julie LaFontaine happily accepted a very generous $10,000 check on their behalf from Warren Waugh and the Lyon Waugh Auto Group. That check was made of behalf of Gloucester Police Department’s Community Impact Unit, headed by Lt. Jeremiah Nicastro, who challenged the community back in September to come together in a big way. Mayor Sefatia Romeo Thekan was also in attendance as her continued support of The Open Door has always been incredibly important.

You may remember that back in September The Open Door held a food drive at the Gloucester Market Basket, the Building Center, and Crackerjacks in Rockport. The food drive was hosted in partnership with Gloucester Police Department’s Community Impact Unit, the We Are All in This Together Gloucester community action group, Awesome Rockport and the Rockport Exchange. At the day’s end the food drive was able to collect over 15,000 pounds of food and more than $11,000. It was a beautiful example of how this community comes together and Lyon Waugh was there along with many others to present a truck load of groceries.

While donations are always incredibly important to The Open Door these unprecedented times certainly create even more need. Thanks to community generosity, like that of the Lyon Waugh Auto Group, they have been able to make a significant impact in more than 5,000 households. The number of meals distributed is well over 800,000 and almost 30,000 meals have been prepared in Open Door’s very own kitchen. The food pantry has recently reopened for shopping as well on Tuesdays by appointment. With the holiday season soon approaching and many annual fundraising opportunities missed due to Covid restrictions, help and support are critical. Not only did Warren Waugh present a $10,000 check yesterday, but he pledged another $10,000 to come when the holidays are upon us. Lyon Waugh is well known, rightfully so, for generosity in the Cape Ann community and beyond….but, also for treating their many employees incredibly well. One of the many ways that is demonstrated is through a much anticipated holiday party. With large gatherings not taking place this year, and that holiday event canceled, Waugh was pleased to announce that they would use those resources to make the second donation.

There will be more opportunities to support the Open Door this Fall. Please check back for the many ways you can help.