UBS Financial Services employees Lorena DuBois, Tracy Anzalotti, Josie Strain and Myrna Quinones deliver donations of food and toiletries to the Westfield Technical Academy Sept. 30. (AMY PORTER/THE WESTFIELD NEWS)
WESTFIELD — On Sept. 30, Peter Taloumis, career technical advisor at Westfield Technical Academy, received a welcome donation of nearly 30 boxes filled with food and toiletries for the school’s food pantry. The donation came from UBS Financial Services in Springfield, which had been collecting for the school for the past four months.
Myrna Quinones of UBS explained that the collection was part of UBS’ “Season of Service.” She said every year during the Season of Service, employees volunteer at nonprofit organizations such as Friends of the Homeless and Habitat for Humanity, but all that stopped due to COVID-19.
Instead, employee Lorena DuBois of Westfield asked her colleagues if they would consider doing a food and toiletries drive for WTA.
“Everyone in our office contributed,” Quinones said, giving special credit to the UBS Branch Manager Gabe D’Amica, who made sure everybody donated. “He drove the donations hard,” she added.
Her colleagues also gave credit to Quinones, who runs the Season of Service at UBS, and who they called “tenacious.”
Taloumis said food pantry supplies in the school were very low prior to the donation, and what they brought in would help the school meet needs until the Thanksgiving Food Drive. He thanked UBS and especially DuBois, who contributes to the food pantry year-round, collecting coupons and buying two for one specials.
