Way to Go, Joe! Former NE Hockey Star Transports 5,000 Pounds of Food to Revere

Revere’s Joe Scoppettuolo scored so many goals at Northeast Regional and won so many games and titles that he is being inducted in to the Wakefield’s school Hall of Fame in September.

But last week may have been Scoppettuolo’s biggest career assist, we’re talking Orr-and-Gretzky-like, here. Generously volunteering his time and services and using his own refrigerated truck, Scoppettuolo drove to Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, picked up 5,000 pounds of food (donated by the Patriots) and transported the boxes back to Revere for distribution at a pop-up pantry at the municipal lot on Central Avenue.

“We used my [Revere Dairy] truck to pick up the food and I helped distribute it,” humbly said Joe, the 48-year-old owner of Revere Dairy, a delivery service of dairy goods and other food items for homes and businesses.

Dimple Rana is letting Joe elude the spotlight on his charitable deed. Rana, who is a member of the COVID-19 emergency response team, worked closely with Scoppettuolo to make the Foxboro-to-Revere 80-mile trek a successful mission. Rana praised Scoppettuolo for coming through for the city in a time of emergency needs.

“Joe was able to go to Gillette Stadium and pick up 5,000 pounds of food which we used for the pop-up food pantry last week,” said Rana. “Joe’s extraordinary act of volunteerism is just amazing. He had an incredible truck and it’s refrigerated and it was exactly what we needed.”

Rana said Scoppettuolo’s “great deed” couldn’t have come at a more important time for Revere residents. “His volunteerism came full circle last week when we were able to feed 200 people here in the city with the donations he picked up. We’re ever so grateful to Joe.”

Scoppettuolo continued his charitable work Tuesday, helping the First Congregational Church of Revere move its food pantry to the city’s central food distribution site at the Rumney Marsh Academy. The Wednesday night food delivery system at the church has been moved to RMA where there will be curbside pickup and walkup.

Answering the Call

Scoppettuolo was ready on a moment’s notice last Monday after getting the call. The very next day he and his wife, Erica, were on their way to Foxboro. Because of the social distancing guidelines, Joe and Erica remained in the truck while workers loaded the food – eggs, tomatoes, onions, milk, cheese, potatoes, hash browns, strawberries, yogurt, cottage cheese – in to the refrigerated truck.

When he arrived back in Revere, Rana greeted him and Erica at the parking lot. “Dimple had a mini-army of people to help me unload the truck and sort out the food on tables,” related Joe. “There were three lines of vehicles and we rotated the lines so people could receive the food.”

How does the all-time Northeast Regional hockey great and 1990 graduate feel about helping Revere residents in a time of crisis?

“To be honest, it feels great to help out,” he responded. “I just wish things would be back to normal. It makes you feel sad and good at the same time. There were a lot of people that were very appreciative of what we were all doing for them.

“And they definitely needed it and I’m glad that myself and all the other volunteers were there and we could help,” Joe said.

Joe’s wife, Erica, noted that it was a Facebook post by Councillor-at-Large George Rotondo that got the ball rolling in the endeavor. Ralph DiCicco also inspired Joe to get involved.

Needless to say, Erica Scoppettuolo is quite proud of the man she calls “Joseph.”

“If any resident from Revere wants me to pick up products for them, they can contact me directly at Revere Dairy,” concluded Joe.

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