Call to Action:

On December 9, the House of Representatives unanimously passed the Weekends Without Hunger Act (H.R. 5012), which Feeding America has been working to pass. This bill would support community efforts to feed low-income children during weekends and long school holidays. If the bill passes the Senate before Congress adjourns for the year, it would result in new opportunities for food banks to feed children on the weekends when they don’t have access to child nutrition programs. Help us urge the Senate to pass this important legislation.

Here’s how you can call your Senator:

Dial 877-698-8228 and enter your zip code to connect directly to your Senator’s office.
Deliver this simple message: Please bring the Weekends Without Hunger Act (HR 5012) to the floor and pass it this year!

Please take a moment to call your Senator today!

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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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Giving Thanks

We recently sat down to talk to with Bill Lee, the recipient of our Hunger Action Hero Business Award, which was given in September. Bill owns Thermo King of Southern Connecticut. He has also been a partner with Connecticut Food Bank for the past 12 years, volunteering his time and equipment and making donations. As he does every year, Bill provided on-site refrigerated trucks for our large Thanksgiving for All food drives last week. These large-scale turkey collections in our communities would not be possible without his support.

Bill Lee, of Thermo King of Southern Connecticut

A true inspiration, Bill continues to make a difference in the community by hosting food drives. Below is our interview with the Thermo King himself.

CFB: Congratulations on your recent Hunger Action Hero Business Award. What does this award mean to you personally?
Bill: Well, I donate to a lot of different organizations and it felt really good to receive an award like that – to be recognized for something that I’ve done.
CFB: How has volunteering impacted your life?
Bill: I’ve been doing business with Connecticut Food Bank for the last 12 years and I see how dedicated the employees are there. We try to donate as much as we can to it. I was brought up with three brothers and a single mom and I know what it feels like to go to bed at night without having anything to eat, so I applaud the employees there for what they do.
CFB: Many people graciously donate during the holiday season, but could you explain the importance of donating year round?
Bill: I think there’s more hunger in this country than a lot of people realize. The economy is so bad, there are more people that are unemployed now, and the cost of gas and heating oil is high. People can help by volunteering – bring your recycling items back to the store, redeem them and buy a can of food to donate. There are a lot of things people can do.
CFB: What drives you to continue helping Connecticut Food Bank?
Bill: I’ve been through it, so it’s more of a reward now that I have bettered myself in life. I own my own business; I’ve come from nothing and gone to having more than I need, so if I can give back to the community, I do.
CFB: What would you say to someone who doesn’t believe he or she can help out?
Bill: They should visit a church homeless shelter. There is hunger out there. You can listen to people’s stories. Open your eyes; it happens enough around us.
CFB: What is your ultimate goal when volunteering?
Bill: To keep giving as much support as far as trailers and equipment and making more drives. Making people more aware that there is hunger in this state.
CFB: Thank you for your time and for the opportunity to speak with you. Are there any last things that you would like to say?
Bill: Connecticut Food Bank is a good organization, very well run. People there are very dedicated to their cause and are very organized.

We would like to congratulate Bill once again on his well-deserved Hunger Action Hero Business Award. We also want to thank him for all that he has done and continues to do for 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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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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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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Adam Cherry: An MVP in Our Eyes

As we head into another exciting World Series showdown, it’s worth highlighting a young baseball player from Southbury who is an MVP in our eyes.

Adam Cherry, 18, of Southbury spent his last two seasons at Pomperaug High School using his pitching arm to “Strike Out Hunger.” Adam is now attending LaSalle University in Philadelphia, where he received a scholarship to play with the Division 1 baseball team.

Two yeas ago, Adam wanted to help people in need, but he didn’t initially know how. So he turned to what he knew best: pitching baseball.

He married his passion for baseball with his desire to help people and came up with his own unique fundraiser to benefit Connecticut Food Bank. He collected monetary pledges for every batter he struck out during the 2009 season for the Pomperaug Panthers’ varsity baseball team.

“I want to do something good for the community. I want to help people who are less fortunate,” Adam said after he pitched his idea to Connecticut Food Bank. “The economy is not great right now and I want to help people get through this.”

Adam’s parents, Maryanne and Jonathan, have always encouraged Adam and his younger brother, David, to give back to the community

In 2009, Adam logged 50 strikeouts during the Panthers’ season, raising $3,570 for the Food Bank.

Adam again hit the mound for Connecticut Food Bank in 2010 with a repeat of his “Strike Out Hunger” campaign.

“I would like to improve on what we started (in 2009). We’ve only just begun, we just scratched the surface,” Adam said before the 2010 spring season began. “I’ve seen so many people who are less fortunate through my various travels. Even some of my friends’ parents need help because they got laid off from their jobs.”

In 2010, as he and his team brought home the state championships for Pomperaug, Adam struck out 67 batters—17 more than in 2009—and raised another $4,757 for Connecticut Food Bank.

Overall, Adam raised more than $8,000—equivalent to more than 28,000 meals for people in need. And it all started with a young man’s desire to help.

Posted by Gladys Alcedo, Communications Coordinator of Connecticut Food Bank

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Random Acts of Kindness

At Connecticut Food Bank, we fight hunger everyday. But we don’t do it alone.

Here are some stories that lifted our spirits in the past few weeks and demonstrated the great kindness that surrounds us.

Happy Anniversary
Phaedra meant to skip lunch on Sept. 8 and donate her savings to Connecticut Food Bank in honor of Hunger Action Month. Work and life got in the way and she forgot.

Two days later, she got a text message from her ex-husband wishing her “Happy Anniversary.” Sept. 8 would have been their 26th wedding anniversary. She looked at her calendar and realized she forgot to skip lunch and donate the money to the Food Bank.

Phaedra immediately wrote out a check to Connecticut Food Bank for $26 in honor of her wedding anniversary. She texted her ex-husband to wish him a “Happy Anniversary” and told him of her gift. He immediately responded back: “Where should I send my check?”

Labor Day Get-Together
At about 5:30 p.m. one recent Friday, a woman knocked on the door of Connecticut Food Bank. Our offices and warehouses were officially closed. Nancy Carrington, our Chief Executive Officer, happened to hear the knock and she sprinted to the front door to answer.

The woman told Nancy that she had a trunk full of food donations from a friend and needed help unloading it. As Nancy and I carried the bags of food from the woman’s car into the Food Bank, the woman explained that her friend had a
get-together during the Labor Day holiday and he asked his guests to bring food donations for the Food Bank.

It’s these random acts of kindness—everyday people doing what they can—that are at the root of what makes what we do at Connecticut Food Bank special.

Connecticut Food Bank exists because of the cumulative efforts of our donors, volunteers and supporters who want to help people in need. We are the community serving the community.

Posted by Gladys Alcedo, Communications Coordinator of Connecticut Food Bank

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A Bake-off to FIGHT HUNGER in September

Editor’s Note: Today’s blog entry features a post from a Connecticut Food Bank supporter and how her office is doing its part in the fight against hunger during Hunger Action Month. The office turned a healthy competition into a fundraiser to fight hunger. If you have a Facebook account, check out this link.

It began with a bunch of bananas and a couple of ladies who like to bake.

When my co-worker brought in some heavily freckled bananas, Kelly and I both wanted to make banana bread with them. As strong, competitive women, we quickly launched a competition. We’d both make banana bread, and co-workers would judge the breads for deliciousness. The best bread would win!

I take the train to work, and as I was transporting my loaf, I read Connecticut Food Bank’s newsletter and noticed that September is Hunger Awareness Month. 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.

Sharing food together, something our office already does, seemed like a natural tie-in to Hunger Awareness Month.

Hence, the office has decided to hold an Iron Chef bake-off, with the winner (and eaters) making small and large monetary and food donations to Connecticut Food Bank throughout the month.

Employees who enjoy dining on the homemade treats are encouraged to place a small or large donation in the circular box next to the baked goods. The winner of the competition will also make a monetary donation to Connecticut Food Bank.

The winner of Monday’s banana bread challenge will compete against fellow Bridgeport employee Julianne next week in a zucchini bread challenge. Other foods that may or may not make appearances include muffins, pies, and cookies. All month long, on Mondays, we will share home-baked treats and collect small bills to fight hunger.

We hope to use the whole month of September to appreciate food together, and to appreciate our food security, while working in a small way to raise awareness of the growing hunger problem in Connecticut. Might you be interested in doing something similar in your office, neighborhood, or circle of friends? Spread the word, spread the love, spread the homemade deliciousness. Lots of small steps can lead to big help for hungry families.

Posted by Beth Anne Royer, Project Manager of the Office of Policy & Management, City of Bridgeport

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