Malcolm and Parsons Makes Sizable Donation to Stoughton's Food Pantries

After running a food pantry drive this past December, January and February, in downtown Stoughton was able to donate about 2,000 items to the two food pantries in town.

Malcolm and Parsons also made a monetary donation of $2,000, with the Prone Family Foundation matching it, so both the and the were able to receive $2,000 each.

The drive, organized by Jack Raeke and Jim Moran of Malcolm and Parsons, was motivated by the desire that “no family should ever go to bed hungry.”

Raeke, Moran and Amne Parsons were on hand recently to present a check to Anne Havlin of St. Anthony's Free Market and Suzanne Blacker and Henrietta Polanzak of the Ilse Marks Pantry at Malcolm and Parson's downtown office. 

"It's unusual this time of year after the holidays to get this type of donation," Polanzak said. 

"We are so very grateful to Malcolm and Parsons Insurance Agency for initiating this food drive," Havlin wrote in a letter on behalf of both food pantries.

She called this type of food drive "unprecedented" in Stoughton. 

"We are especially grateful to the Malcolm and Parsons Families who decided to take on this project in the midst of grieving , the President of Malcolm and Parsons, who recently passed at the young age of 53 from cancer," Havlin continued. 

"The needs of the hungry are ongoing, and this will make a huge difference."

Malcolm and Parsons' three month drive drew the attention of a couple of Stoughton natives with Hollywood ties. Footloose star and , an actor in "The Town," visited the insurance agency to help with promotion. 

Raeke's 7th grade CCD class at Immaculate Conception sorted the food donations and helped deliver them to the food pantries. 

"[Raeke's] volunteerism in this town is legendary, serving the sports, religious and many other areas of population in Stoughton," Havlin wrote.

The food pantries are in particular need of coffee, oil and mayonnaise, canned corn and proteins like tuna, peanut butter and canned meat.  

St. Anthony's Free Market is located on Park Ave. and The Ilse Marks Pantry is located on Seaver St. They feed more than 100 families a week in town.