Fairhaven Stop & Shop Donates Easter Baskets to Children in Crisis

Silver linings during a worker's strike are few and far between; however, there is one to report today as the SouthCoast heads into Holy weekend.

The Fairhaven Stop & Shop contacted the Friends of Jack Foundation, a local organization dedicated to enriching health-care focused programs for the children of the SouthCoast. The grocery store told the foundation that they were fearful that there would be hundreds of Easter baskets going to waste because of the work stoppage. They were reaching out to the foundation with the hopes that they could get the Easter baskets into the hands of needy children in the community.

The Executive Director of the Friends of Jack Foundation, Jill Fearons, jumped at the chance to help. She and her children spent Friday morning stuffing 143 Easter baskets with candy and stuffed animals, preparing them for a dropoff at Child and Family Services in New Bedford.

Susan Remy is the Director of Development at Child and Family Services. She was shocked when we told her how many Easter baskets were coming her way.

"Oh wow," she said. "I knew they were coming, but I didn't know how many! This is absolutely wonderful." Remy tells Fun 107 that there are thousands of children within the 20 different programs that encompass Child and Family Services.

Fun 107 made the drop this afternoon alongside New Bedford Police Chief Joseph Cordeiro and the Friends of Jack Foundation.

Susan Remy was particularly excited for the children that will be celebrating Easter alone, away from their families, in the unit.

"These are kids that are going through a family crisis and will be spending the next week or two here without their families. Now, these kids are going to be able to have an Easter egg hunt and will have Easter baskets to open on Sunday morning," she said.

A little piece of joy for these local children as they go through some of the most challenging days of their young lives. A sliver of positive news to share after what has been an extremely challenging week for so many Stop & Shop workers here on the SouthCoast.