A Path from Unemployment to Serving People in Need

Sonia Rivera, far right, celebrated with her team after finishing the inaugural Walk Against Hunger in Bridgeport in April 2010. Team Sonia Rivera won third prize for team fundraising prizes for the Walk in Bridgeport.

This time last year, Sonia Rivera was unemployed. She lost her job in April 2009 after she was laid off as part of a national company’s efforts to cut costs and downsize. It was the first time since college that Sonia didn’t have a job.

For 16 years, Sonia was a traffic manager, managing more than a dozen employees and a fleet of eight to nine trucks a day that served the tri-state area. It was a job she loved and enjoyed doing.

But like many hundreds of thousands of workers, the poor economy forced Sonia’s company to cut jobs, driving about 30 workers to the unemployment lines.

Sonia took some time off for herself, but quickly started to look for a job in earnest. She said she was fortunate because her family, including then 10-year-old daughter Vanessa, had her husband’s income and her unemployment benefits to help them through the trying time.

Sonia, who initially didn’t know where the unemployment office in Bridgeport was located, started going to the Connecticut Department of Labor office on Lafayette Square to take as many classes as she could to improve her computer and job skills. She had not searched for a job since she graduated from college about 16 years ago.

“I was there every single day,” Sonia recalled. “I met a lot of wonderful people who were willing to help. Going to the unemployment office was so beneficial for me. The counselors there were so wonderful. They knew what I was going through and knew how to guide me.”

Sonia was the first to admit that her situation wasn’t as dire as others, who were only collecting $60 a week on unemployment. She said she was fortunate that she was able to collect the maximum benefit.

But after months of being unemployed, Sonia started to worry about what would happen to her family’s finances after the unemployment benefits ran out. She did all she could to find a job. She attended job and career fairs, networked with as many people as she could face-to-face as well as through social media.

It was a tough job market, Sonia said.

In the fall of 2009, Sonia learned about Connecticut Food Bank after watching “The Biggest Loser” television show on NBC. She realized that unlike before when she worked, she now had the time to give back to her community. She called Connecticut Food Bank to volunteer.

Sonia started doing office work for the Food Bank in October 2009. She came about once a week to the Food Bank to fold letters, stuff envelopes and help with some office tasks.

Then, as Connecticut Food Bank searched for a new Fairfield Warehouse Distribution Coordinator, Sonia’s story and resume got passed along to the administration at the Food Bank.

“I just got into the habit of sharing my story with everybody. I wanted to be open with people. This is who I am. This is my story,” Sonia said.

On Feb. 11, 2010, Sonia started at the Food Bank’s Fairfield warehouse. This month, she will be heading to Waterbury to manage the warehouse under an interim appointment.

She has since gone back to the unemployment office in Bridgeport to share her success story and give others hope that an opportunity may be just around the corner.

“Be positive. Don’t get into that “I-give-up-I-quit” attitude. Remain as positive as you can; surround yourself with positive people; look for all the resources available to you; and just get up and go,” Sonia said.

Posted by Gladys Alcedo, Communications Coordinator of Connecticut Food Bank

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Feeding America: Our National Partner in the Fight Against Hunger

Connecticut Food Bank is a member of Feeding America, a national network of food banks that works to feed people in need.

Feeding America is the nation’s leading domestic hunger-relief charity. Its mission is to feed America’s hungry through a nationwide network of member food banks and engage our country in the fight to end hunger.

Each year, the Feeding America network provides food to more than 37 million low-income people facing hunger in the United States, including 14 million children and nearly 3 million seniors.

The national network of more than 200 food banks serves all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, securing and distributing more than 2.5 billion pounds of food and grocery products annually. Those member food banks support approximately 61,000 local charitable agencies and 70,000 programs, which provide food directly to individuals and families in need.

We rely on Feeding America for advocacy, food and fund donations. More importantly, Feeding America, at the national level, brings together all the state and local food banks so that we can have one collective voice in the fight against hunger.

Posted by Gladys Alcedo, Communications Coordinator of Connecticut Food Bank

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SNAP/Food Stamps vs. Nutrition, Part 2

Remember the Oct. 13 blog entry, titled SNAP/Food Stamps vs. Nutrition, that was posted on this site?

That blog entry talked briefly about the current debate of limiting recipients of food stamps (now called the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP) from using their federal benefits to buy soda and other sugary drinks.

You should check out The Huffington Post to find out what Feeding America thinks about the issue. Feeding America is the national network of food banks that includes Connecticut Food Bank.

In an Oct. 22 posting on the website, Feeding America President and CEO Vicki Escarra shared her perspective on the issue of SNAP/Food Stamps vs. Nutrition.

“This argument against SNAP recipients using their benefits to purchase snack and other unhealthy foods is one I find disappointing. Food insecurity and participation in federal food assistance programs does not make a person ignorant about good nutrition and healthy food choices,” Escarra said.

“While Feeding America focuses on distributing more fresh fruits and vegetables, we often hear from parents who rely on food pantries that their children really appreciate that their monthly food box contains the occasional offering of sweets or chips—not because they gobble up snack foods every chance they get, but because once in a while, it’s nice for them get to have a special treat, like all of the other children whose parents can afford to buy those things,” Escarra said.

Click here to view Escarra’s full perspective.

Posted by Gladys Alcedo, Communications Coordinator of Connecticut Food Bank

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Kudos to AARP Connecticut

AARP Connecticut announced this week that it was joining forces with End Hunger Connecticut!, Foodshare, Connecticut Association for Human Services (CAHS), and the Hispanic Health Council in a campaign to raise awareness among older adults and increase enrollment in the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps.

The news was announced at an Oct. 27 press conference in Hartford.

“While most families are busy planning for festive holiday meals in the coming weeks, thousands of older adults are faced with the challenge of simply putting food on the table,” said AARP State Director Brenda Kelley. “More than 350,000 Connecticut residents receive help with their grocery bill each month and thousands more may be eligible, but are not receiving assistance. AARP and the AARP Foundation are committed to helping older adults find the assistance they need to put healthy, nutritious food on the table.”

According to the AARP news release, only 34 percent of eligible older adults receive food assistance in Connecticut—leaving millions of federal dollars untouched. The most common reason people do not receive SNAP benefits is that they don’t realize they may be eligible.

The campaign, which is part of a national anti-hunger effort being supported by the AARP Foundation, is utilizing a centralized toll-free phone number, 1-866-974-SNAP (7627), manned by trained volunteers, to assist people with eligibility screenings and enrollment applications.

For more information about AARP’s efforts, click here.

Posted by Gladys Alcedo, Communications Coordinator of Connecticut Food Bank

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Paper Plates To End Hunger

Master’s Manna Food Pantry and Soup Kitchen of Wallingford will be heading to Washington, D.C. on Nov. 8 to deliver Paper Plates to End Hunger to the White House. The delivery is part of the Empty Plates Empty Pockets Campaign that Master’s Manna has been conducting.

Since August, Master’s Manna has been asking the community to write anti-hunger messages on paper plates that will be delivered to the President.

If enough people can get together and write a message to the President regarding what people need to just keep food on the table maybe he would listen, said Cheryl Bedore, founder and director of Master’s Manna.

Master’s Manna operates a food pantry, clothes closet, soup kitchen and resource center, including a computer lab and dental/medical clinic. In 2009, 1,636 families came through the doors of Master’s Manna seeking help. Master’s Manna is a member program of Connecticut Food Bank.

In a time when people are losing jobs, facing cuts in hours where they work and losing benefits, it’s now time for our government to step up to the plate, according to Master’s Manna.

There’s still time to support the Empty Plates Empty Pockets Campaign. If you’re interested, please contact Master’s Manna as soon as possible.

You can make a big difference by stopping in at Master’s Manna and jotting down your anti-hunger message to the President on a paper plate. Or you can get your friends, family members, classmates and congregation to write messages to the White House and drop the paper plates at Master’s Manna, 46 North Plains Industrial Road, Wallingford, before Nov. 8.

Posted by Gladys Alcedo, Communications Coordinator of Connecticut Food Bank

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More Children in Connecticut Are Hungry

One child in six doesn’t have enough to eat in Connecticut, according to a report released by Feeding America, the national network of food banks.

The report, titled Child Food Insecurity in the United States: 2006-2008, listed Connecticut among the Top 10 states with the highest increase in the rate of children under 18 who are food insecure.

Connecticut’s numbers jumped 2.9 percent from the previously reported study released last year. Connecticut is the only state in the Northeast to see such a substantial increase.

“That’s a Top 10 list that we don’t want to be part of and it shows that we need to do better for our children in Connecticut,” said Nancy L. Carrington, Chief Executive Officer of Connecticut Food Bank. “We at Connecticut Food Bank are trying to do as much as we can to be part of the solution through our child nutrition programs.”

Connecticut Food Bank expanded its Kids’ BackPack Program in the past school year and has plans to reach more children in this school year.

Click here to view an Oct. 9 feature on the program by Crossroads Magazine. Fast forward to 14:08 to see the program in action at the Macdonough Elementary School in Middletown. The segment only takes about five minutes, but worth viewing to learn how we are fighting child hunger in our communities.

Posted by Gladys Alcedo, Communications Coordinator of Connecticut Food Bank

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Congratulations to Connecticut Association for Human Services for its Centennial Celebration

This year, Connecticut Association for Human Services (CAHS) will celebrate 100 years of working to reduce poverty and create prosperity for all Connecticut children and families.

CAHS is one of our organizational partners in the fight against hunger in Connecticut. Its mission is to end poverty and engage, equip and empower all families in Connecticut to build a secure future—a mission that we wholeheartedly support because it complements our mission to alleviate hunger.

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Consistent with its history of promoting policies and practices that move people from poverty, CAHS will mark its anniversary with a provocative forum, “Reclaiming the American Dream: Opportunity and Prosperity for All.” The forum will feature Newark Mayor Cory Booker and Yale Professor Jacob Hacker, author of “The Great Risk Shift: The New Economic Insecurity and the Decline of the American Dream.” The forum will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. Nov. 10 at The Bushnell Theater in Hartford. Click here for ticket information.

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Founded in 1910, CAHS promotes family economic security strategies that empower low-income working families to achieve financial independence. Through the years, CAHS has played a unique role as a catalyst and convener in the fight to end poverty.

CAHS works to reduce poverty and build family economic success through outreach, education, and policy work. CAHS informs service providers and others, like our organization, to advocate for policy and practice changes that move low- to moderate-income families toward prosperity.

In the past 100 years, the accomplishments of CAHS included: organizing free tax preparation sites that put $10 million in the pockets of hard-working families last year; providing town-by-town data on the well-being of children and families through its Kids Count data books; and advocating at the Capitol to protect funding for essential programs like childcare subsidies and health care.

We applaud CAHS for 100 years of dedication to ending poverty in our communities and for empowering our Connecticut children and families. We are proud to call CAHS a great partner in our efforts to alleviate hunger in Connecticut.

Posted by Gladys Alcedo, Communications Coordinator of Connecticut Food Bank

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World Food Day is this Saturday

Don’t forget World Food Day is this Saturday, Oct. 16. It will be the 30th commemoration of the worldwide event designed to increase awareness and understanding of what needs to be done year-round to alleviate hunger globally.

The day is observed on Oct. 16 in recognition of the founding of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization in 1945. This organization is the lead agency of the UN system for technical assistance, research and policy-making for world agriculture, fishing, forestry and rural development. The first World Food Day was commemorated in 1981.

Although we at Connecticut Food Bank are focused on alleviating hunger in our state, we understand that we are part of a larger community fighting hunger in our world.

Find out more about World Food Day by visiting World Food Day USA or reading this article, titled “Focus on Hunger on 30th World Food Day, 925 Million Still Hungry,” from Voice of America.

Make sure you sign the petition to end hunger at www.1billionhungry.org.

Posted by Gladys Alcedo, Communications Coordinator of Connecticut Food Bank

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Connecticut Food Bank by the Numbers: Volunteer Hours

In 2009-2010, 1,751 men, women and children logged 13,180 hours of volunteer service for Connecticut Food Bank. We’ve seen the number of our volunteers grow by 16 percent compared to the previous fiscal year.

Volunteers Henry Wong, right, and Lawrence Cloney, left, sort and bag vegetables at Connecticut Food Bank's East Haven warehouse.

Our volunteers sorted food, worked events, helped in the office, picked apples and helped spread the word about hunger.

Volunteers serve valuable roles at Connecticut Food Bank. They enable us to do more with less, to reach more people and to better serve people in need.

Based on data from the Independent Sector, we have calculated that our volunteers saved us $359,000 in operational costs from July 1, 2009, to June 30, 2010. That allowed us to invest more of our resources into our mission of alleviating hunger in our communities.

Thank you to everyone who volunteers for Connecticut Food Bank.

Posted by Gladys Alcedo, Communications Coordinator of Connecticut Food Bank

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SNAP/Food Stamps vs. Nutrition

As we become a more nutrition-minded society, the issue of nutrition and hunger has hit center stage.

On Tuesday, Oct. 12, “On Point with Tom Ashbrook,” a national broadcast on NPR, took on the issue of hunger, food stamps, sodas and fat.

The show, titled “Food Stamps & Nutrition Controversy,” focused on what our New York City neighbors are trying to do in their community: asking the U.S. Department of Agriculture to bar its recipients of food stamps (now called the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP) from using their federal benefits to buy soda and other sugary drinks.

The show featured the following guests:

• Dr. Marlene Schwartz, Deputy Director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity at Yale University, who is also a member of the Board of Directors of Connecticut Food Bank.
• Ellen Vollinger, Legal Director of the Food Research and Action Center, one of Connecticut Food Bank’s national partners in the fight to alleviate hunger.

If you missed the show, listen here and tell us what you think of the issue.

Posted by Gladys Alcedo, Communications Coordinator of Connecticut Food Bank

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