Thanks for Your Support

Thank you doesn’t seem enough to express the appreciation felt by Connecticut Food Bank for the great outpouring of support from thousands of individuals, families, civic groups, schools, religious organizations and companies that helped make our “Thanksgiving for All” campaign a success. The people of Connecticut have always been generous—and they proved that again this year.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Irene and October’s snow storm, people were generous. Because of that early generosity, we were concerned that donations during the Thanksgiving season would drop. But we put out the call for the need for food and the community responded overwhelmingly.

Together, we collected 25,052 turkeys and more than 392,000 pounds of trimmings. With everyone’s help, we were able to provide nearly 600,000 meals for people in need of food assistance this holiday season.

As we count our blessings for the outpouring of community support, we have to remember Thanksgiving is just one day. In Connecticut alone, there are approximately 400,000 people who struggle to put food on the table. And nearly one in five children in Connecticut doesn’t always know where his or her next meal will come from.

We can’t justify people living with hunger. We must do all we can to change this. And as we learned this Thanksgiving, we have the ability and fortitude to feed thousands of individuals who were in danger of going without a holiday meal. Let’s carry that resolve beyond Thanksgiving and into the days and months that follow.

On behalf of Connecticut Food Bank and the 600 food-assistance programs we serve, thank you for your wonderful support this Thanksgiving and all year long.

Sincerely,

Nancy L. Carrington
President & CEO
Connecticut Food Bank

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Connecticut Food Bank 2011 Hunger Action Heroes Honored

Connecticut Food Bank recently honored our Hunger Action Heroes at an awards ceremony attended by more than 100 at our East Haven warehouse. The heroes are individuals, businesses and organizations that go above and beyond to support Connecticut Food Bank in its mission to alleviate hunger in Connecticut. The ceremony is held annually in September, designated as Hunger Action Month.

“You are our heroes in many ways, but more importantly you are our inspiration, making a difference in the lives of the men, women and children who depend on us for food,” Connecticut Food Bank President & CEO Nancy L. Carrington told the honorees. “We thank you for your extraordinary service on behalf of our mission to alleviate hunger in Connecticut.”

Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro was presented with The Bill Liddell Award – the highest tribute paid by Connecticut Food Bank to an individual, organization or corporation in recognition of exemplary service, ongoing dedication and significant support of the Food Bank and its mission. The award was named after Bill Liddell who supported the Food Bank by donating a total of 104 tons of fresh produce, as well as time and funds. He spent six years on Connecticut Food Bank’s Board of Directors.

“Since her election to Congress in 1990, Rosa DeLauro is one of the strongest voices in for local, national and global hunger relief efforts,” said Carrington. ”We are grateful for her tireless work to help those who face the struggles of food insecurity.”

Other 2011 Connecticut Food Bank Hunger Action Heroes are:
• Carl Asikainen: Advocacy Hero
• A-1 Toyota: Business Hero
• Junior League of Greater New Haven: Civic Hero
• Walmart: Corporate Hero
• Anthony DiBenedetto, Hallock Orchard (Washington Depot): Farm Hero
• ShopRites of Hamden, Milford, Stratford and West Haven: Fundraising Hero
• Ocean State Job Lot: Food Industry Hero
• Michael Maze: Media Hero
• Waterbury’s Evangelical Christian Church: Member Program Hero
• Sam Greco: Student Hero
• Jeremy Titus: Volunteer Hero

In addition, Connecticut Food Bank recognized top individual and team fundraisers who participated in the annual Walk Against Hunger, held in New Haven, Bridgeport and Waterbury. Those events raised more than $240,000 to support hunger-relief efforts in Connecticut.

A-1 Toyota received Connecticut Food Bank’s Business Hunger Action Hero Award.

Michael Maze receives the Media Hunger Action Hero Award from Connecticut Food Bank’s Events & Promotions Coordinator Stefanie Stevens.

A-1 Toyota received Connecticut Food Bank's Business Hunger Action Hero Award.

Michael Maze receives the Media Hunger Action Hero Award from Connecticut Food Bank's Events & Promotions Coordinator Stefanie Stevens.

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Student’s gratitude earns “A” from her teacher and Connecticut Food Bank

It’s not often that we have the opportunity to hear directly from the young people who give back after experiencing what it’s like to be food insecure. An 11th grade girl recently sent the following letter to tell us her story:

“I am proud to say that due to a project I recently did; my teacher is donating $25 to your organization. I chose your organization for my project because you helped out me and my mother in times of hardship. Now, my mother and I donate as many canned foods as we can, whenever we can. As I said before, my mother and I are really grateful for the food you supplied in our time of need. I hope your organization is thriving and continues to help out those in time of need.”

Her teacher told us, “My Career Development classes had to complete an assignment dedicated to researching a nonprofit organization of their choice. The students had to present their information and visual aids to the class, thus increasing the audience’s knowledge about their charity. Each class voted on the persuasive speech presentation they thought was the best and then I chose the ultimate winner. I am pleased to enclose the $25 donation on behalf of one of my students. She did an excellent job and earned a 100 on her project. She made a personal connection to your food bank, as she and her mother were in need of your services for a period of time. Thank you again for all you do to assist people during difficult times in their lives.”

We thank the teacher and are grateful to the student for sharing her story and being so willing to put a face on hunger for her teacher and classmates. It is through the work of these brave individuals who are eager to tell about their experiences that others can begin to understand what it is like to not know where their next meal is coming from.

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More than 500 take part in Greater New Haven Walk Against Hunger

Connecticut Food Bank’s 35th Annual Greater New Haven Walk Against Hunger on May 1 presented by Webster Bank exceeded expectations, with a record number of walkers coming out to help alleviate hunger in Connecticut. Thank you to all the walkers, member programs and volunteers who made the event one of the most successful ever! We know many enjoyed the walk, music, food and lawn games on a spectacular Sunday afternoon in May!

Congratulations to the Greater New Haven Spirit Award winners:

Best Team Name: UNH Strawberry Striders
Best Team Costume: Fabulous Females for Food
Best Team Spirit: Master’s Manna of Wallingford

And special thanks to New Haven Mayor John DeStefano, Miss Connecticut Junior Preteen Mikayla Raffone and John Voket from 99.1 WPLR for helping to rally the crowd before they hit the pavement. Check out Walk photos donated by Stefanie Kapra of Photography and More on Connecticut Food Bank’s Facebook page. We’re looking forward to two more successful events this month:

• 2nd Annual Greater Bridgeport Walk Against Hunger, Sunday, May 15, Seaside Park, Bridgeport
• 6th Annual Greater Waterbury Walk Against Hunger, Sunday, May 22, Library Park, Waterbury

Registration is at 1 p.m. and the Walks get under way rain or shine at 2 p.m. Register your team today at www.ctfoodbank.org/walkagainsthunger and help feed your neighbors in need. You can download a Registration Form and Walk poster. Can’t make the Walk dates? You can register as a Spirit Walker.

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Connecticut Food Bank Receives $30,000 Donation from Wells Fargo Bank

Wells Fargo Bank’s Regional Vice President Joseph Kirk, Community Banking President for Connecticut Kent McClum and President of the Connecticut Chapter of Wells Fargo Volunteers Renee Rovelli (far right), present a $30,000 check to Connecticut Food Bank’s President & CEO Nancy L. Carrington.

Connecticut Food Bank is the recipient of a $30,000 donation from Wells Fargo Bank presented today at a ribbon cutting ceremony to commemorate the official opening the new Wells Fargo brand in Connecticut. Wells Fargo Bank recently asked its customers in Connecticut to vote for their favorite nonprofit, with the top vote getters being the recipients of community-based grants.

Connecticut Food Bank President & CEO Nancy L. Carrington accepted the check from Kent McClum, Wells Fargo Bank’s Community Banking President for Connecticut. “This generous donation from Wells Fargo will help us provide more than 100,000 meals to people in need,” she said. “We are extremely grateful to Wells Fargo and its customers for selecting Connecticut Food Bank to receive these funds to enable us to help Connecticut residents who continue to struggle to put food on the table in this challenging economy.”

According to the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC), one in seven households in Connecticut is struggling to keep food on the table. In addition, a 2010 U.S. Department of Agriculture report indicates that 400,000 Connecticut residents could not afford balanced meals and had to cut meals or go without food.

Connecticut Food Bank is a private, nonprofit organization whose mission is to alleviate hunger. The organization supplies food products and resources to eligible programs throughout six of Connecticut’s eight counties and promotes public awareness about the problem of hunger. Founded in 1982, the Food Bank is the largest centralized source of emergency food in Connecticut.

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Dunkin’ Donuts Employees Rise to the Challenge for Kids’ BackPack Program

The Mohegan Sun Arena is known for WNBA games and rock concerts. But on Thursday morning, the floor of the arena was taken over by corporate employees of Dunkin’ Donuts and Connecticut Food Bank for two hours of competitive community service and chaos.

At the invitation of Dunkin’ Donuts, the food bank brought in two truckloads of Kids’ BackPack supplies in the wee hours of the morning. By 10 a.m., the Dunkin’ Donuts employees arrived to hear a challenge: a similar group in New Orleans had packed 6,000 packets of food for its local Kids’ BackPack program and we wanted to beat that record.

After a Dunkin’ Donuts Baskin Robbins Community Foundation check presentation of $5,700 to help defray the costs of the Kids’ BackPack program, the employees were divided into five teams. To promote that competitive spirit, the team that packed the most bags was going to get a coveted Golden Backpack, made for this occasion by the Food Bank’s own Carly Yearsley, our Child Nutrition Coordinator.

We weren’t quite sure what to expect. Our typical backpacking volunteer experience has, at most, a dozen people quietly putting together the bags of food for children who would otherwise go hungry on weekends when they don’t have access to school meals. Each bag must contain two wholegrain cereal products, two shelf-stable milks, two protein-based entrees, two healthy snacks, and two 100% juice boxes. We distribute more than 1,700 of these bags each week to 65 schools in 15 school districts and depend on volunteers every week to make it happen. But 250 exuberant, caffeine-buzzed (we are talking about Dunkin’ Donuts coffee, after all) volunteers with slightly more than an hour available to beat a New Orleans all-time record was an all-new experience.

Each team of 50 came up with a fast game plan and team member assignments – they had product box openers, runners to refill the packing tables, box makers, bag openers, and dozens of packers lined up at tables. And when the whistle blew, they were off and running.

It was frenzied, it was noisy, it was fun… and in the middle of it, WTNH showed up and waded into the middle of the action for a TV news story which didn’t slow the crowd down one bit. When Carly announced “Freeze” and they stopped packing (well, when Carly announced “Freeze” for the third or fourth time and they started to slow down – did we mention that caffeine-buzz?), we beat the New Orleans record by hundreds. A month’s supply of bags had been packed!

Of course, we added clean-up as a requirement – no prize awarded until the area was almost as spotless as it had been before the event started – and they managed that in record time too (there’s that caffeine-buzz again).

Congratulations to teams “Pack Pack Pack” and “Latte Packing Going On,” (yes, we had a tie!) who get to share that coveted Golden BackPack. But there were no losers because it was all for a good cause – to feed hungry children here in Connecticut.

To get a couch-potato view (but do have some Dunkin’Donuts caffeine and join the buzz), click on the link to the WTNH story here.

Our disclaimer: All references to a caffeine-buzz are strictly the opinion of this coffee-drinking reporter and not the official claim of the Dunkin’ Donuts brand. But it is a reason we all arrive to work every morning with that DD cup in hand…. After all, America runs on Dunkin’.

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Mobile Pantry Program, $100,000 Grant from Wal-Mart Employees Brings Fresh Produce and Other Food Items to Those in Need

Connecticut Food Bank has a new partner in its efforts to fight hunger in the state. Since September of this year, the state¹s largest food bank has operated a Mobile Pantry Program that brings nutritional items to food insecure families and households in six Connecticut counties.

The Mobile Pantry Program gives Connecticut Food Bank the ability to distribute fresh food items including dairy products, fresh vegetables, fruit, whole grain goods and other perishable items directly to individuals in need. The healthy food choices are due in large part to a $100,000 grant from Wal-Mart employees submitted through the Wal-Mart Foundation¹s Associate Choice Program.

“We are extremely grateful for this generous donation that will make a world of difference in the lives of people struggling with food insecurity in the communities we serve,” said Nancy L. Carrington, Chief Executive Officer of Connecticut Food Bank. “Connecticut Food Bank is proud to be recognized by the Wal-Mart Foundation’s Associate Choice Program for the vital service that we, along with our volunteers and partners, provide to those in need on a daily basis.”

Carrington said the Mobile Pantry Program is convenient for people in need who may not have the transportation or financial means to access resources for fresh, nutritional products. She said people with limited means often stretch their food budgets by purchasing inexpensive, high-calorie products. Local food-assistance programs may not have large-scale refrigeration and storage facilities for perishable foods. Those programs are limited to providing processed and non-perishable items.

“The Mobile Pantry Program allows recipients to select the items they need from the pantry truck in their own neighborhoods,” said Carrington. “For those that rely on food pantries, thanks again to the kindness and generosity of Wal-Mart employees, perishable products will now be available.”

According to the latest figures from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Connecticut had one of the largest increases in food insecure households in the country since 2007. The Mobile Pantry Program will help Connecticut Food Bank address the needs of many of the 400,000 food insecure residents in the state.

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“That’s a lot of salad dressing!” — Paul L. Newman

Connecticut Food Bank's van provided by the Newman's Own Foundation.

At last week’s “Over the Moon Celebration,” Tom Brokaw reminded all of us of a famous line from President John F. Kennedy’s inaugural speech: “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” Brokaw added that both Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward lived by these words every day.

And what they’ve done for our country – and the world — is pretty amazing.

It was at this same celebratory party in New York City that Newman’s Own announced that it surpassed the $300 million mark in charitable giving, as Joanne Woodward distributed another $1.4 million dollars in charitable contributions to 14 organizations including Feeding America.

The evening’s event was co-chaired by Joanne Woodward Newman and Clea Newman Soderlund, Paul and Joanne Newman’s youngest daughter.

In addition to supporting Feeding America, Newman’s Own Foundation has been a strong supporter of Connecticut Food Bank, providing a van and annual grants to support our programs.

“When people would thank Paul for his charitable giving, he would always reply that he didn’t think he was doing anything special,” said Robert Forrester, president of Newman’s Own Foundation. “He believed that the real thanks should go to those people who work every day to make ours and the future’s a better world. For Paul, it was a privilege to be just one among these many.”

Connecticut Food Bank thanks the Newman and Woodward family and all the people at Newman’s Own and the Newman’s Own Foundation for their support.

View NBC Connecticut’s great coverage of the event here.

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The GFWC/CT State Project for 2010-2012 is Connecticut Food Bank/Foodshare

As State Project Chairman for the General Federation of Women’s Clubs of Connecticut for 2010 to 2012, I am proud to be working with such a terrific group of people on a very important mission. Our mission, like yours, is to stamp out hunger in Connecticut.

“I was very impressed. They are an energetic and enthusiastic and dedicated group of women. I can see that they will be effective because they are efficient, really taking the cause very seriously,” said Nancy L. Carrington, Chief Executive Officer of Connecticut Food Bank, who addressed GFWC recently this month to discuss the state project.

Northford Women's Club

The GFWC is one of the world’s largest and oldest nonpartisan, nondenominational, women’s volunteer service organizations. It was founded in 1890 and chartered by the 56th United States Congress in 1901.

Over 10,000 members nationwide work in their own communities to support the arts, preserve natural resources, advance education, promote healthy lifestyles, encourage civic involvement, and work toward world peace and understanding.

Throughout our history, GFWC has made significant impacts on the world. For example, 75 percent of public libraries in the United States were established by GFWC clubs! And, GFWC furnished the reception room and gave visibility for the first hospice in the country. The organization had a part in the passage of women’s right to vote, child labor regulations, and more recently, the Violence Against Women Act and the Lily Ledbetter Equal Pay Act. Members have supported Literacy Volunteers of America, the Paul and Lisa Foundation to help sexually abused children, and built the GFWC/CT Bluebird Therapeutic Park at the Alzheimer’s Resource Center.

GFWC has raised thousands of dollars for many causes, some of which include:

• The purchase of an ambulance for the New York City Fire Department after Sept. 11, 2001
• Nearly $60,000 for the Haiti earthquake relief
• The support and training of Fidelco Guide Dogs for the blind
• The creation of “safe havens” for battered women and their children

That’s just a small fraction of the accomplishments that are part of the GFWC legacy. Today’s members are writing the history of GFWC and are a part of GFWC’s future accomplishments!

Our 48 Connecticut clubs are currently working on projects and fundraisers to support Connecticut Food Bank and Foodshare.

My goal for the state project for the next two years is to raise $25,000 and 25,000 pounds of food. One of my committee members, Florence, contacted a number of farmers in our town and was able to collect over 17,000 pounds of fresh produce. Already, we are nearly 75 percent to our goal of collecting the 25,000 lbs of food. It looks like I’m going to have to raise the bar a little higher on the food collection.

A famous author, Dorothea Brande, once said, “Act as if it were impossible to fail.”

As chairman, I pledge to do my best to provide assistance wherever needed so that the GFWC/CT can work towards the goal of stamping out hunger in our state in the most effective and efficient way possible.

We are going to set our sights high, “act as if it were impossible to fail,” and blast our way to end hunger!

Posted by Patty Meglio, guest blogger and State Project Chairman for the General Federation of Women’s Clubs of Connecticut for 2010 to 2012

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An Apple a Day …

Spending the day picking apples is a traditional autumn activity in New England. The fresh autumn air, the beautiful scenery, and of course there’s nothing like biting into a freshly picked, crisp and juicy apple with the perfect mix of sweet and tart. But for thousands of people struggling with hunger in Connecticut, fresh apples are not always on the menu.

One way that Connecticut Food Bank is able to provide fresh apples, and other produce, to people struggling with hunger throughout our six county service area is through gleaning projects. Now you may be wondering “what is gleaning?” Simply put, gleaning is the act of harvesting fresh produce after the farmers have harvested all that they are able to sell.

Local growers sometimes find that there is still produce in their fields after they have sold all that they can. As a result they don’t always harvest their entire crop, leaving perfectly good produce on trees and in fields. Farmers can put this otherwise wasted produce to good use by allowing Connecticut Food Bank to bring in groups of volunteers to glean the produce that is not harvested for sale.

One recent example of how Connecticut Food Bank can work with growers is the recent project at Hallock Orchard. Anthony DiBenedetto and his family, owners of Hallock Orchard in Washington Depot, have donated fresh apples to Connecticut Food Bank for several years; working with Food Bank volunteers to glean their orchard at the end of the harvest season.

This year the DiBenedetto family decided to donate the entire apple harvest. The result was an amazing 60,425 pounds of fresh apples. That’s about 483,000 apples!

Not only was this a fabulous donation, it was also a great volunteer opportunity. There were families, individuals, and groups from local schools, who all gave their time and effort to help others.

My family and I had the opportunity to participate in one of the weekend gleaning sessions. It was heartwarming to see how many people there were picking the apples that would ultimately be handed out to people in need. That day, in less than two hours, volunteers picked nearly 9,000 pounds of apples. By the time the last apple was picked, volunteers had put in more than 600 hours over a five-week period from September through October. I feel privileged to have been able to share in this experience, and to provide my 7-year-old daughter, Jordan, with an opportunity to learn about giving back and helping others.

As I consider the time, effort and resources the DiBenedetto family put forth through the year to maintain the orchard and then help the volunteers harvest the apples, and the hours and effort of the volunteers who came out to help, it seems inadequate to merely say “Thank you.” But I do want to express my gratitude on behalf of Connecticut Food Bank to all the volunteers who spent time picking apples and to the DiBenedettos for all their hard work and generosity.

Thank you!

Posted by Carolyn Russell, Product Donation Coordinator of Connecticut Food Bank

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