There’s no summer vacation from a healthy mind and body!

Editor’s note: Today’s blog entry is submitted by Cheryl Kaiden, a Board member of Branford’s Community Dining Room.

With the sun shining and temperatures warming, summer feels like it’s arrived. At the Community Dining Room (CDR) in Branford, CT, we’re more focused than ever on helping our clients to enjoy the outdoors in mind and body!

This is the time of year, when many local farmers and neighbors share their bounty with us, dropping off vegetables and fruits that we can incorporate into our daily meals. CDR kitchen volunteers have made an increased commitment to focus on developing healthy, nutritious meals using whole grains and natural ingredients whenever possible. We’ve increased the number of vegetables and fruits we serve and decreased sugary desserts.

To help clients make life-long changes, we regularly offer nutrition and health clinics for adults during our Noon Lunch Program, and hands-on education programs for children at our Tuesday Night Family Dinner. This spring we added “Walking for Wellness” on Wednesdays. A healthy walking program aimed at getting our clients to improve their physical condition and control appetites.

At the CDR, we don’t see summer as a time to cut back on programming, we see it as a time to renew our commitment to good health: to get clients moving, and help change eating habits from bad to good with local vegetables, herbs and fruits. As we move ahead, our mission to end hunger and isolation with food, fellowship, referrals and education remains the focus of our programs.

To learn more about the CDR or to make a donation, visit our Web site at www.communitydiningroom.com, visit our blog at www.cdrbranford.wordpress.com, or Find us on Facebook.

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Connecticut Food Bank Helps Letter Carriers Stamp Out Hunger May 14

Connecticut Food Bank is joining the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) on Saturday, May 14, to Stamp Out Hunger. The Stamp Out Hunger food drive is the nation’s largest single-day food drive, representing 1,500 local branches of the postal union. Letter carriers across the country are collecting non-perishable food donations that day along their postal routes.

Held annually on the second Saturday in May, the event helps replenish food banks and pantries in more than 10,000 communities. Last year the Stamp Out Hunger food drive collected a record 77.1 million pounds of food donations, pushing the 18-year total to more than one billion pounds of food.

“Connecticut Food Bank is glad to assist the letter carriers in Bridgeport, East Haven, Hamden, Stratford and Waterbury in their efforts to help us alleviate hunger in Connecticut,” said Nancy L. Carrington, Connecticut Food Bank’s president and CEO. “This food drive is important because recent data tells us that 52 percent of the nearly 400,000 people in Connecticut who struggle with hunger do not qualify for financial assistance. They are going to our network of food pantries and soup kitchens for help.” Over the last five years, the food drive has donated 109,500 pounds of food to Connecticut Food Bank.

Residents are encouraged to take part in the Stamp Out Hunger food drive by leaving a sturdy bag containing non-perishable food items, such as canned soup, canned vegetables, canned fish or meats, pasta, rice or cereal next to their mailbox before the regular mail delivery time on Saturday, May 14. Letter carriers are collecting these food donations as they deliver the mail and are taking them to a local agency or Connecticut Food Bank.

For more information about the Stamp Out Hunger food drive in Connecticut, ask a letter carrier, contact a local post office, or visit www.helpstampouthunger.com, www.facebook.com/StampOutHunger, or www.twitter.com/StampOutHunger.

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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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Our Thanks

This past Thanksgiving Day, many of us sat around the dinner table surrounded by friends and families expressing our gratitude over heaping plates of food. Thousands of men, women and children who are struggling to survive in today’s economy were also able to share in the spirit of the holiday thanks to the generosity of their neighbors.

Scores of individuals, families, civic groups, schools, religious organizations and companies came forward in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving to help make Connecticut Food Bank’s “Thanksgiving for All” campaign a success. Together, we collected 24,516 turkeys and more than 360 tons of trimmings. With everyone’s help, we were able to provide nearly 779,503 meals for people in need of food assistance this holiday season.

The kindness demonstrated throughout our Thanksgiving campaign was not only awe-inspiring, but also a testament to what we can do when we work together as a community. As today’s recession continues to push more of our neighbors over the brink of financial security, we have to do more. Hunger is a year-round issue that doesn’t end on Thanksgiving weekend. You can help Connecticut families year round by making a donation at http://www.ctfoodbank.org/donate.

Since this current recession began, Connecticut saw one of the most significant increases in households grappling with food insecurity according to a federal report released days before Thanksgiving.

We can’t justify people living with hunger. We must do all we can to change this. And as we learned this past 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 650 food-assistance programs we serve, thank you for your wonderful support this Thanksgiving and all year long.

Sincerely,

Nancy L. Carrington
Chief Executive Officer
Connecticut Food Bank

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“Thanksgiving for All” Campaign is Thousands Short of Meeting Distribution Needs

The Connecticut Food Bank is more than 4,000 short of its expected demand for turkeys this holiday. The shortage means thousands of residents, many of them children, will not have a traditional Thanksgiving dinner this year.

There are difficult financial strains due to the economic environment in our state. Connecticut Food Bank is asking everyone who is able to please consider donating a turkey to help others. This holiday represents an opportunity to reflect on those things we are all thankful for, a time for family and friends. Those who donate make it possible for everyone to be a part of the sharing process of Thanksgiving.

Last year, Connecticut Food Bank distributed 26,503 turkeys and 491,000 pounds of food, which provided an estimated 590,000 meals for people in need during the holiday season. Every event planned for this month is critical, not only to collect food and funds, but also to increase awareness about the ongoing battle with hunger and poverty that many Connecticut residents face. One out of every seven households in Connecticut is struggling to keep food on the table.

Find a “Thanksgiving for All 2010” event near you to donate:

• KC 101, WELI 660, ESPN 1300 Stuff-a-Bus. Friday, November 19, 6 a.m. – 7 p.m. and Saturday, November 20: 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. Collecting frozen turkeys, non-perishables and financial donations. Hamden Plaza, 2100 Dixwell Ave., Hamden

• WATR Big Heart at Big Y. Friday, November 19, 7 a.m. – 1 p.m. and Saturday, November 20, 7 a.m. – 1 p.m. Collecting frozen turkeys, non-perishables and financial donations. Big Y, 85 Bridge St., Naugatuck

• i95 Camping for Cans. Starting 5 a.m. Monday, November 23 – ending at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, November 25. Collecting non-perishables and financial donations. Danbury Auto Group Lot, approx. 72 Newtown Rd., Danbury

Also, Connecticut Food Bank warehouses in East Haven, Fairfield and Waterbury will have extended holiday hours to accept food and monetary donations from the public, and for volunteers to help sort and distribute food to member programs before Thanksgiving.

People unable to get to a food drive may donate a turkey or other items at Connecticut Food Bank’s Virtual Food Drive at http://www.ctfoodbank.org.

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Program Spotlight: WHEAT Serving West Haven for 35 Years

WHEAT, the West Haven Emergency Assistance Taskforce, will mark its 35-year anniversary this year.

Since 1975, WHEAT, a predominantly volunteer-run organization, has given out 864,000 meals, feeding more than 32,000 West Haven residents.

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WHEAT will hold its 35th anniversary fundraising dinner
5 to 7 p.m. Oct. 19
at the Italian American Club,
85 Chase Lane, West Haven.

Tickets are $12 for adults,
$5 for children 12 and under
and free for children under 3.

The event will feature a pasta dinner, cash bar and anniversary cake.

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WHEAT provides a variety of social services for people in need, including a food pantry, a sign-up center for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly called food stamps, and the Project MotherCare medical clinic operated by the Hospital of Saint Raphael. WHEAT also serves the Spanish-speaking community with the help of a Spanish interpreter.

“We’re the central charity for the city of West Haven. We’re not just a food pantry and clinic. We’re the central referral center for other agencies inside and outside West Haven for clothing, furniture and rent assistance,” said Rose Majestic, WHEAT’s Executive Director. “We’re the 211 of West Haven.”

The WHEAT food pantry has been a member of Connecticut Food Bank since the Food Bank was incorporated in 1982 as the state’s first regional food bank.

Currently, WHEAT serves about 300 people per month out of its modest site at 674 Washington Ave., West Haven.

“When I came here in May 2005, our yearly distribution of unduplicated households was 1,850 residents. This year it’s approaching over 3,000 residents,” Majestic said. The number had been growing steadily before the recession, but the economic downturn just made it worse.

“We’ve seen a dramatic increase in the number of seniors who come in because they don’t want to let their children know that they have fallen on hard times. During the summer, we’ve seen a spike in families whose kids usually get school breakfast and lunch,” Majestic said.

WHEAT has also partnered with the VA Hospital in the city to help returning and disabled veterans, and the Head Start Program at the West Haven Community House.

Two years ago, WHEAT gave up a third of its building so a permanent home for the Project MotherCare medical clinic could be built. For 10 years, the clinic was initially operated out of a mobile van and WHEAT allowed the van to park in its lot and provide care to children and mothers during the week.

When the van could no longer function, Majestic said there was the possibility the mobile clinic would leave West Haven. “It’s such a valuable service. We didn’t want to lose them and we didn’t want them to leave so we agreed to give up a third of our building and build a permanent clinic so they will always have a home in West Haven,” Majestic said.

According to Luray Bouffard, Connecticut Food Bank’s Programs Coordinator, WHEAT is a wonderful example of community collaboration.

“WHEAT is a great resource for the West Haven community. They work together with other agencies in town to ensure all residents get the assistance they need. Offering space to the Saint Raphael’s clinic is just another example of how they keep the needs of the community in mind,” Bouffard said.

Majestic said many social service agencies choose not to celebrate their anniversaries, but rather commemorate the milestone. She, on the other hand, believes such milestones should be celebrated because of what they represent as a service to the community.

“I choose to celebrate our 35th anniversary because despite needing more food and the lack of funds, we have not closed our doors. We have managed to get the food, scrape by with the money and find more volunteers so we can give equitable food to everybody who walks through the door,” Majestic said. “WHEAT has built 35 years of integrity and great respect and that’s worth celebrating.”

To learn more about WHEAT, visit wheatpantry.org or call 203.931.9877 or e-mail wheatcharity@sbcglobal.net.

Posted by Gladys Alcedo, Communications Coordinator of Connecticut Food Bank

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