AMESBURY — Our Neighbors' Table is seeking help from the community in meeting its annual goal of filling 500 Easter baskets for children in need.
Pantry assistant director Joan Bukoskey said volunteers are coming in on Sunday to fill the baskets, but just four days away from that time, the pantry is finding it has not received near what it needs to distribute baskets to local organizations that depend on them for the children they serve.
"We try to fill 500 baskets, but donations have been really slow," said Bukoskey yesterday. "We give them to children who come to our Wednesday night meal on March 31, and we also give them to several agencies in the community, including Community Action, the Pettengill House, the Anna Jaques children's unit and some of the grade schools. Usually we get quite a few donations, but they're just kind of trickling in."
Bukoskey said she has enough items to fill about 200 baskets right now and is especially in need of wrapped candy, small toys, crayons, art supplies, chalk, bubbles and small items to place in the baskets. She has more than enough stuffed animals but is very low on small gift items for teenagers — items such as Dunkin Donuts gift cards, personal care items, lotions and nail polish.
"Anything a teen might like," Bukoskey said. "We're especially low on that."
Bukoskey said the donations are needed by Friday, or Saturday at the very latest, as volunteers will be forced to go out and purchase items ahead of the Sunday basket project. The items can be left at the Amesbury fire station 24 hours a day, seven days a week, or donors can call Our Neighbors' Table at 978-388-1907 to set up a time to drop the items off.
"People have always been so generous in the past, and we know these are difficult times," Bukoskey said. "But we would just hate to not be able to do it this year."
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