Friday, December 23, 2016

Happy Hanukkah and Merry Christmas!

Wishing you all happy holidays and a prosperous 2017!

The FDP office will be closed December 23 through January 2.

Thursday, December 22, 2016

Impressive Totals of '12 Days of Donating' Drive

Food Elves Inspire “Fresh” Approach to Food Drive
Community Response Overwhelming
FRANKLIN, MA – When more than 130 Franklin Food Elves set out to collect gifts from their neighbors for the Franklin Food Pantry for the “12 Days of Donating” Campaign, their load was lighter than the year before. But that’s what they hoped for.
The Elves encouraged more monetary donations this year so the Pantry could purchase fresh food for clients. The community rallied behind the Food Elves’ appeal and donated $13,273 and 3,696 pounds of food. Last year’s total yield from the Food Elves’ drive from residents was $1,943 and 8,001 pounds of food.
“This was an extraordinary effort by the Food Elves,” said Erin Lynch, executive director of the Franklin Food Pantry. “And our community responded with such generosity. The monetary donations will allow us to purchase nutrient-rich food to supplement the canned and boxed food donations that were collected. The high cost of fresh food is often a barrier to wholesome nutrition for the families we serve.”
With monetary donations, the Pantry can purchase fruits, vegetables, dairy products, eggs and meats. As a Greater Boston Food Bank partner, the Pantry purchases items at a fraction of what it costs in the grocery store, therefore making donation dollars stretch even further.
In addition to neighborhood collections, the elves placed red food donation bins at the following local businesses: Chestnut Dental Associates, Dean Bank, Dean College, Emma's Quilt Cupboard, Feet In Motion School of Dance, Franklin Agway, Franklin Downtown Partnership Office, Franklin Mill Store, Keefe Insurance Agency, Murphy Business, and Pour Richard's Wine & Spirits.  As part of their commitment to the Food Elves, the business partners have also pledged to donate $200 each to the Franklin Food Pantry.
The Franklin Food Elves is a charitable community service group comprised of more than 130 dedicated elementary, middle and high school students. This was the eleventh year of the neighborhood drive, and the sixth year the elves partnered with local businesses to create one of the Franklin Food Pantry’s most successful collection drives. The food and cash will help sustain the pantry’s 504 client families through the winter.

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Erin Lynch, left, Franklin Food Pantry Executive Director, and Ellie Teixeira, lead Food Elf, greeted more than 130 Franklin Food Elves as they dropped off donations collected in the “12 Days of Donating” Campaign this month. Photo courtesy of Bob Teixeira.

Lead Food Elves Ellie Teixeira (left) and Julia Buccella distributed red bins to 11 Franklin Downtown Partnership member businesses participating in the Franklin Food Elves "12 Days of Donating" drive. Photo courtesy of Bob Teixeira.

Download the Franklin Food Pantry's press release here.

Friday, December 16, 2016

2017 Event Dates You'll Want to Know

Strawberry Stroll, Harvest Festival & Holiday Stroll Dates Set
We have set dates for our 2017 Strawberry Stroll, Harvest Festival and the Holiday Stroll. 
Yes, you read that right -- the Harvest Festival is back in 2017! 

Strawberry Stroll will be Thursday, June 8 (no rain date)
Harvest Festival will be Saturday, October 14, Rain Date Sunday, October 15
Holiday Stroll will be Thursday, December 7 (no rain date)

More dates, including our Networking Luncheons, Beautification Days, General Meetings, and Progressive Dinner, will be announced soon. 


Friday, December 2, 2016

Franklin's Festive Holiday Stroll!


Hundreds of families enjoyed the Franklin Downtown Partnership's annual Holiday Stroll Thursday evening. Thank you for supporting this great community event! The weather was seasonably chilly and many storefronts were decorated beautifully for the season. 

Many thanks to Roberta Trahan and Jennifer Hurst, the Holiday Stroll co-chairs, for organizing the stroll!


















Our sponsors helped make the night festive and fun!

Gold Sponsors for this event were Dean College and Dean Bank.











Silver Sponsors were DCU, D.G. Ranieri Real Estate, Franklin Ford, Middlesex Savings Bank and Rescom Exteriors.





Bronze Sponsors were Beaux Regards Photographic Art by Marjorie Sardella, BMW Gallery of Norwood, Boston Solar, Flynn/Wirkus/Young Attorneys at Law, Franklin Central Pizza, Franklin Driving School, Franklin Girl Scouts, Simon’s Furniture, Tom Fricker Heating & A/C.







Thank you to the Franklin DPW and the Franklin Police Department for your help, too!  

We have many more photographs. Check them out in our Google Album (top right corner of this page) or on our Facebook page

Thursday, December 1, 2016

Holiday Stroll Program

Here is a listing of Holiday Stroll participants and where they will be located:

Dean College:
Tree Lighting with refreshments

Dean Bank:
OUTDOORS
Gingerbread Man activity
Music Street Realty
Relay for Life/sponsored by Dean Bank

Rockland Trust:
OUTDOORS
Shaws Market Wreaths
INDOORS
Franklin Girl Scouts
Franklin Distinguished Young Woman/sponsored by Rockland Trust

Corner near Teddy Gallaghers:
OUTDOORS
Envoy Mortgage

Depot Plaza:
INDOORS
Enchanted Memories (stand alone business front, downstairs)
UPSTAIRS
Franklin-Bellingham Rail Trail
Drama Kids
FUSF
Beaux Regards
Flynn Wirkus Young
Salley’s Alley
Mary Rubino Hypnosis

DOWNSTAIRS
Franklin Driving School
Blessed Sacrament School
Family Legal Practice
Edward Jones
LuLaroe Willow and Daisy

Emma’s Quilt:
INDOORS
North Pole Postman
Kennedy-Donovan Center
America’s Best Defense
Touchstone Crystal

Norfolk Music Together
Refreshments

Franklin Historical Museum:
INDOORS
Mrs. Claus
Refreshments

Franklin Fire Department:
Touch a Truck

THE BLACK BOX:
Performance snippets of upcoming Holiday Shows!

Jane’s Frames:
Entertainment
WMRC outdoors

Simon’s Furniture:
OUTDOORS
Erik the Wood Carver
Feet in Motion
Franklin Ford
Honda/BMW
DCU
Boston Solar
Rescom
Central Pizza-coupons

INDOORS
SANTA CLAUS!!!
FHS Performers
Elizabeth Randall Designs

Roaming Main Street:
Saint Mary Choir
Central Pizza offering coupons to strollers!