Beasley’s Boston radio stations and Boston 25 were out in force on the Monday before Thanksgiving, volunteering for The Salvation Army.
I reported for duty to The Salvation Army’s Chelsea Corps right before 9 a.m. The staff on site were already hard at work. Pallets of potatoes and onions were being forklifted into the parking lot. Delivery trucks were dropping off last-minute donations of fruit. And stacks and stacks of boxes and cans were being sorted.
I was put right to work on those boxes and cans, making neat piles of bags of rice, cans of gravy, boxes of beans, and packages of pretty much every Thanksgiving food item you can think of, along side the other hard-working volunteers and staff. You see, the Chelsea Corps has a lot of work to do. Not only on Thanksgiving, but year-round.
The Salvation Army Food Pantry is open to all, and the demand is high. Even before the Coronavirus pandemic, Chelsea residents were in need, with over 60% experiencing food insecurity. Nearly 1 in 5 residents were living in poverty. And those numbers only grew once the pandemic was peaking. Thankfully, the Chelsea Corps had the tools in place to take action, serving millions of meals to those who were hungry. And the work continues, which we all saw firsthand.
Doing Good With The Salvation Army For Giving Tuesday
Right around 10:30, Ramiro from HOT 96.9, Bob Bronson from WROR, and Jackson Blue from Country 102.5 came through to volunteer, joined by Elizabeth Hopkins from Boston 25. In minutes, we were all in position: Ramiro slinging turkeys, Elizabeth passing out pies, Bob bringing out the beans, and Jackson taking my spot handing out potatoes so I could get on the air. The blocks-long line of Chelsea residents passing through was proof of the importance of the work we were doing.
And you can help us! If you’re reading this on Giving Tuesday, please make a donation to the Chelsea Corps. And if you catch it later on, please consider volunteering. You can get more information here, and see the Beasley crew in action below.
