Ways To Help On Make A Difference Day In Westford

WESTFORD, MA — The fourth Saturday of every October is National Make A Difference Day, when good works take center stage as volunteers nationwide and all over the globe set aside some time to help others.

With the coronavirus pandemic causing unprecedented hardships in 2020, donating to, or helping at, food banks and food pantries can be even more important this year. Make A Difference Day — celebrated this year on Saturday, Oct. 24 — is an ideal time to volunteer at one of them.

Here are a few local food pantries and food banks in and near Westford that could use some help:

• Westford Food Pantry, 20 Pleasant St, Westford (In need of: Peanut butter and Jelly, cereals, canned stew, pasta and sauce, boxed mashed potatoes, pancake mix and syrup, toilet paper, spam, personal care items)
• Greater Boston Food Bank, 70 South Bay Ave, Boston, MA 02118 617.427.5200

Food items for the Westford Food Pantry can be dropped off at any of its drop-off bins at Market Basket, Middlesex Savings Bank, The Roudenbush Community Center, Mill Works, and the Residence complex near The Butterfly Place. All items can be dropped off at the Cameron Senior Center 9am to 4pm Monday through Friday.

The Westford Food Pantry helps serve more than 500 people each month.

The city of Goodyear, Arizona, is among the municipalities urging its residents to donate food on this Make A Difference Day. The city will host a Saturday morning food drive benefiting the local St. Mary’s Food Bank.

“Many of our neighbors are facing significant challenges as a result of the pandemic,” Evelyn Howell, a longtime volunteer in Goodyear, said in a statement. “Our community always rises to the challenge, and we’re excited to give back during these challenging times.”

In Illinois, Make A Difference Day came early this year. The Diocese of Joliet already has served more than 190 families in need with the Northern Illinois Food Bank and Catholic Charities.

“It was wonderful to kick off our #makeadifferenceday (a few days early!),” the Rev. Pat Mulcahy said on Twitter.

Making a difference can take many forms, so participation isn’t limited in scope to feeding the hungry. Since its inception in 1992, Make A Difference Day has inspired hundreds of thousands to volunteer locally in countless capacities.

People can volunteer or donate to another charity, mentor someone, or even just say a kind word to someone struggling. Find a local charity to support.

Originally a project of USA Weekend magazine, organizations worldwide have formed their own local projects to carry on the torch.

Those include the United Way.

In Wisconsin, the United Way of Marathon County is making it a weeklong project to rake the yards for elderly and disabled citizens.

The Volunteer Center of San Gabriel Valley in Monrovia, California, has participated in Make A Difference Day since it began and will again have a handful of projects that volunteers can choose.

“We’re having a first responder thank-you drive-up, in which people can give letters to us to show their appreciation or post on our wall themselves,” said Macy Gracia, director of the volunteer center.

“We’re also making wellness phone calls to seniors and having a senior car parade, where we will visit senior facilities and, hopefully, brighten up their day.”

Whatever good people do, they are urged to use the #MakeADifferenceDay tag on social media to inspire others to do the same.