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captions on page 4:
Clockwise from top:
Captain Joshua Jones and Debbie White of the Salvation Army, Interact Co-Advisor Roberta Rocchetti; Emily St. Martin, Caitlin Mercer and Eoin Mercer of the Interact Club; Missy Meyers, president of the Putnam Rotary Club.
Putnam Police loading TEEG truck
Putnam's finest are almost dwarfed by their successful food collection.
Salvation Army Band
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From every corner
of the Quiet Corner
--- generosity
By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
The Quiet Corner? Maybe. But Debbie White of the Salvation Army wondered out loud, perhaps it should be “Philanthropic Corner.”
From every corner of the Quiet Corner, food, money, toys and more comes pouring out of residents to help those less fortunate.
Bell ringing -- 25 years later
Nov. 19 White helped kick off the Putnam Rotary Club’s Interact Club 25th anniversary of bell ringing for the Salvation Army. Interact Club co-advisor Roberta Rocchetti said in 25 years the Interact Club has raised $233,200.
Local high school students will be ringing the bells from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 25 and 26 and Dec. 3, 10, and 17 at Putnam Supermarket, Walmart, Price Chopper and Stop and Shop in Putnam.
Schools taking part include thus far are: Putnam High School, Killingly High School, Tourtellotte Memorial High School and the Woodstock Academy.
Also taking part is technology. The classic Red Kettle can now “tap” and handle credit cards and technologies like Google Pay.
At the kickoff, complete with the Salvation Army Band playing Christmas carols, Interact President Emily St. Martin thanked everyone for their help in “making a positive difference in our community.”
Putnam Mayor Barney Seney called the amount raised in 25 years a “big piece of change.” “People say youth does nothing. Just look around and see what the youth is doing. Today’s youth is not lost.”
White emphasized the importance of what the club members have done/will be doing. Saying that 90 percent of the money raised stays local, she said: “Lives are being changed. Families are being restored.”
Captain Joshua Jones, Divisional Youth secretary for the Salvation Army, said the Red Kettle began in San Francisco in 1891 as a way to feed 1,000 people. “Keep the pot boiling” was the mantra. By the end of the 1890s thousands were being helped across the country and now millions are being helped beyond that. “This is our chance to show love beyond,” he said.
Putnam Rotary Club President Missy Meyers presented the Interact Club a check for $500.
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'Amazed at the generosity'
By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
PUTNAM — Food drives are one of the Quiet Corner’s specialties and each year the numbers climb.
From corner to corner food drives are very successful. And the toy drives are just gearing up.
The Putnam Business Association’s eighth Thanksgiving Dinner drive is likely to beat last year’s total collected of $8,500.
“Holiday drives” numbered in the dozens in the Quiet Corner.
The state police collected food and donations as well as local police departments.
One of many efforts, the Putnam Police Department’s annual Handcuff Hunger food and donation drive, “did pretty well considering the current economic times,” said Police Chief Christopher D. Ferace.
A good number of Putnam Police Department members collected all the fixings for Thanksgiving dinners and money over two days in front of the Price Chopper in Putnam. Ferace said they collected 164 turkeys, 18 chickens and 12 hams and “hundreds if not thousands of pounds of consumables to compliment the turkey dinners.”
In addition, he said, they collected $2,629 in cash and gift cards to be split between Daily Bread and TEEG.
He added: “I would consider our Handcuff Hunger Thanksgiving food drive very successful. I probably sound like a broken record, but again I am amazed at the generosity of Putnam and the surrounding northeast communities. I cannot thank people enough for their generosity. It is truly heartwarming!”
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