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| By G. Michael Dobbs Managing Editor CHICOPEE - With a huge food drive expected this month, Chuck Desmaris of Lorraine's Soup Kitchen called last week's announcement of a new warehouse facility "outstanding news." On Thursday, Desmaris met with Top Flite officials and Mayor Michael Bissonnette to announce the golf ball manufacturer and the city's largest employer has donated warehouse space on an open-ended basis to the Soup Kitchen. The soup kitchen is expecting 15 tons of food this month from the annual postal workers food drive. Without this new space, the soup kitchen would have had no place to store the food. The soup kitchen serves between 25,000 and 30,000 meals a year. The soup kitchen had lost its space at the Cabotville Industrial Park, which, under new ownership, is being renovated. The non-profit meal and food pantry program had been paying rent at Cabotville, but Top Flite is donating the space. Desmaris said the space 2,000 square feet is about the same size and is heated and secure. Top Flite might even be donating some shelving units as well. Mario Godbout, the vice president of operations for Top Flite, said he learned of the soup kitchen's problem from employees at the plant. He said the company felt that it needed to assist the community. Godbout hopes that other businesses would consider helping non-profits such as the Soup Kitchen. The food drive will precede a fund-raiser for the soup kitchen at the Chicopee Moose Family Center from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 26. The soup kitchen will be having a combination sales event featuring a tag sale, antique and crafts vendors. Desmaris said the soup kitchen is looking for donations to the tag sale and is looking for vendors as well. There will be no charge for table space for the outside vendors, but Desmaris is hoping each vendor will make a donation to the soup kitchen. People with tag sale items can call Claire Hudson at 533-4452 to arrange for a drop-off at her house. Desmaris said they are willing to accept most saleable items except for clothing, stuffed furniture, magazines and large appliances. He is also looking for people willing to bake for a bake sale table at the event. For more information, contact Desmaris at 532-1067. |