Welcome South Windsor as our 20th Hunger Action Team!

SW HAT members pictured from left to right: M. Saud Anwar, Beatrice Maslowski, Andrea Cofrancesco, Sarah Hill, Sandy Ramesh, Liane Lussie-Smith, Kent Greenman, Nancy Swiatkiewicz, Peter Stagon, and Laurel Andrews

The South Windsor Hunger Action Team held their inaugural meeting on Wednesday September 28th at the South Windsor Public Library.

South Windsor is Foodshare's 20th Hunger Action Team (HAT). The new HAT will be meeting on the second Wednesday of the month at 12:30 p.m. at the South Windsor Library. The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, October 12th at 12:30 p.m. in the Friends Room of the South Windsor Public Library. New members are always welcome.

For more information about the new South Windsor HAT, please contact Beatrice Maslowski, Community Network Builder at Foodshare at 860-286-9999 x180. Learn more >

Foodshare joins ShopRite to "Bag Hunger"

Earlier this week, Miller Family ShopRite in Enfield--a longtime partner in the fight against hunger--hosted their annual “Help Bag Hunger” event to raise awareness for Hunger Action Month. Foodshare President James Arena-DeRosa joined other local dignitaries to bag groceries while cashiers collected donations for the ShopRite Partners In Caring Fund, which helps fill the shelves of local community food banks.

You can make a donation through ShopRite's Partners In Caring campaign, to benefit Foodshare, at any of our nearby stores--Bristol, Southington, West Hartford, Canton, East Hartford and Manchester.

Since its inception in 1999, the ShopRite Partners In Caring Program has donated more than $40 million to 1,700 hunger relief agencies in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, Pennsylvania and Maryland. ShopRite’s commitment to this cause is unwavering and employees work year-round to raise awareness of the issue of hunger for the citizens of our local community.

Sharing our mission

Our Jewish friends and neighbors are preparing for the High Holy Days which begin with the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, on the evening of October 2. According to Jewish tradition, in the month leading up to the holiday, Jews begin a process of self-examination and repentance.

Amid, this reflection upon past behavior is the practice of repairing the world. Our friends at Temple Beth Hillel in South Windsor reached out to Foodshare as their vehicle to improve the lives of people struggling with hunger in Greater Hartford.

On Sunday, September 25, a grade class from their Religious School, along with several adult members, participated in Foodshare’s interactive Hunger 101 program. The program helps to educate young and old alike on the problem of food insecurity--not knowing where your next meal will come from.

Concerns over food insecurity have existed thoughtout history. Yet, the folks at Temple Beth Hillel, are fighting hunger in the here and now for South Windsor residents, by hosting a “free”zer – a freezer in the Temple’s social hall that offers a place for anyone to leave a meal for a family in need no questions asked. Additionally, they host a charity bank, tzedakah box, which is a replica of a famous synagogue in Poland, where anyone can donate to Foodshare. This helps Foodshare provide people in Greater Hartford with fresh and nutritious produce, dairy and proteins.

Nourish, Inspire & Advocate–Temple Beth Hillel in South Windsor is helping Foodshare achieve all three prongs of our mission to solve hunger, thank you!

So many partners under one roof

With funding support from CBS Hartford Radio advertisers—Price Chopper Supermarkets, Johnson Brunetti, Jefferson Radiology, Kia of East Hartford, and Brown Paindiris & Scott—Foodshare is improving access to healthy food for many households across the region through our retail food rescue program.

“Foodshare is so grateful for the generous support of CBS Radio and our local advertising sponsors,” said James Arena -DeRosa, Food share President & CEO. “Not only is the funding imperative for ensuring all of our neighbors have access to healthy food, but informing thousands of listeners across the region about this important work is helping to garner new support in the fight against hunger.”

These same sponsors bolstered their financial support with a volunteer day during #HungerActionMonth, this past Friday. Representatives from CBS Radio—including DJ Buck, of Hot 93.7 fame—and participating sponsors volunteered their time to inspect and sort through donated food items at Foodshare’s main facility in Bloomfield.

“As a business dedicated to helping people feed and care for themselves and their families, Price Chopper is proud to support the Retail Food Rescue program, which helps to rescue and distribute nutritious foods to hungry families in Greater Hartford.” said Mona Golub, Vice President of Public Relations and Consumer Services at Price Chopper Supermarkets.

Check out the full story here >

Improving our SNAP outreach efforts

Foodshare's SNAP Outreach Coordinator, Laura Roberts (front row in yellow), recently attended a Capacity Institute convening in Chicago along with SNAP personnel from other food banks in the Feeding America network. They shared ideas with other attendees on expanding and re-invigorating their own SNAP programs. SNAP stands for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly Food Stamps) and is one of the most powerful tools for addressing hunger in our community.

"These capacity institute convenings always make me feel ready to conquer hunger when I leave. They are so energizing. Many of us agree that we learn so much from each other each time we go. I find many of the food banks asking me questions about our volunteer driven SNAP program. I tell them, our volunteers can do practically everything an employee can." 

This photo was taken on Hunger Action Day, September 8, so many of the attendees donned their orange apparel to promote awareness of hunger issues. In Hartford and Tolland counties, over 137,000 people cannot be sure where their next meal is coming from, which includes one out of every six children. Learn more about our efforts to connect people with SNAP benefits >

Success with Universal Free Meals in Bristol

We recently received some great news from Greg Boulanger, Director of Food Services in Bristol and Hunger Action Team (HAT) member: 

"Since the start of the 2016-17 school year, two Bristol elementary schools provide meals under the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). We call it 'Universal Free Meals.' As expected we have seen a large increase in participation with breakfast and modest increase with lunch."

According to initial reports:

• West Bristol increased breakfast by 185% and lunch by 20%
• E.P. Hubbell increased breakfast by 100% and lunch by 15%

In early spring, Greg asked Bristol HAT members to help him encourage parents of school age children to find out if they were eligible for School Meals or SNAP. He had determined that 3 of his schools were very close to meeting CEP eligibility, but he needed about 200 more families to tip the school eligibility scale. The SNAP Outreach programs at both End Hunger CT! and Foodshare played a role in assisting many parents to access SNAP, which in turn made them automatically eligible for free school meals. The result of these efforts, along with others, is that two of the three schools are now under CEP.

Congratulations to Greg and many thanks to Laura, her volunteers and our colleague/HAT member Shannon Yearwood at EHC!

Learn more about Community Eligibility Provision >

Swift Factory Tour 9/29

September 29th @ 4:30 PM -- SWIFT FACTORY TOUR

Join the last tour of 2016 and learn about the history of the Swift Factory (Love Lane, aka 5 Corners in Hartford), as well as future plans which coincide with the Hartford Promise Zone efforts. 

 Tour is offered by Community Solutions. Please email Patrick McKenna for more information.

World Food Day

October 17th @ 8:30 AM – Join us for WORLD FOOD DAY 

Featuring a free breakfast and discussion about reducing food insecurity in Hartford.

To be held at The Studio, Billings Forge Community Works (539 Broad Street, Hartford)

Please email Meg Horrigan, Hartford Food System, for more information. 

Shine with School Breakfast!

As you may already know, September is Hunger Action Month and Foodshare is focusing on School Breakfast to ensure all of our kids start the day with a healthy meal. As luck would have it, the Wethersfield Food and Nutrition Services Team put together this awesome list of "Top Reasons Why Your Child Should Eat Breakfast at School" and we thought it was way too good not to share!

Getting the word out

Recently, Foodshare's President & CEO, James Arena-DeRosa, attended an event at Seabury in Bloomfield sponsored by the UCONN ALP (Adult Learning Program). James spoke to a group comprised of about 100 seniors on his own personal background and his decision to work in the area of social justice. He also spoke passionately about the need for school breakfast and the impact on our children.

Following his remarks, James entertained questions from the audience, and many left the session feeling inspired and with a greater knowledge of the causes and effects of hunger.

A Cornerstone of the Community

A big congratulations to The Cornerstone Foundation, a Foodshare partner, on their grand opening of the Food Cupboard this past week!

A special thanks to the director of the food pantry Glenn Andrews who, sadly, will be moving to Florida in a few weeks. We all wanted to take a moment to wish him and his family the best of luck on their next adventure!

A Model for Breakfast in the Classroom

Lincoln Elementary played host to Foodshare’s School Breakfast Challenge yesterday. With school back in session, connecting kids with healthy food is top of mind for many parents, teachers and administrators. James Arena-DeRosa, President and CEO of Foodshare, took this opportunity to spotlight New Britain for the district’s overwhelming success serving breakfast in the classroom.

“At Lincoln Elementary, more than 700 kids start each day with a healthy breakfast,” according to Arena-DeRosa. “That’s more than 100,000 meals served during the year, at no cost to the kids…and that’s only one school!” 

While many schools across the state are eligible for federal funding to support breakfast in the classroom, less than half of Connecticut kids receive breakfast each morning. “If you live in Hartford, there’s a one in two chance you will not get breakfast. Change needs to happen, and at a much higher level to ensure the decision to operate a breakfast program does not fall to each individual school.” 

Foodshare’s President was joined by School Principal Elaine Cabral, former Assistant Superintendent Ron Jakubowski, and Food Services Director Mike Koch. In the week leading up to this visit, Arena-DeRosa participated in a School Breakfast Challenge, skipping the most important meal of the day to raise awareness during Hunger Action Month.

Join the conversation by commenting below or sharing your thoughts on social media. 

Don't forget to tag @Foodshare and use the hashtag #SchoolBreakfastChallenge.
 

Day 6: #SchoolBreakfastChallenge

   
Ate breakfast today
 
Off to New Britain where 100% of the kids get school breakfast every day! Kudos to the former administrators like Ron Jakubowski who worked for years to make this happen. Special thanks to Principal Elaine Cabral for hosting our visit and to 2nd grade teacher Ms. Ancher for inviting us into her classroom at Lincoln elementary. They both noted that starting breakfast in the classroom in New Britain was a bit of a journey––with some initial resistance––but now everyone embraces it as part of their daily routine. 

Zuraia, a precocious 2nd grader, had my number before I had my coat off. She called me over, “Hey Mister, sit with me for breakfast!” So much for worrying I would be an intimidating presence in the classroom. 

I was immediately struck by the beehive of activity and things moving like clockwork. When administrators are asked to consider breakfast they, along with the janitorial staff and teachers, are typically most concerned with logistics. But if they were to visit Lincoln Elementary in New Britain, they would see there is nothing to worry about. Each kid grabs their own pre-packaged meal provided by the food service team––a few minutes of breakfast and social time, some milk, some juice and a banana muffin. When finished, each child would clean up using a special trash (to avoid smell throughout the day), say the pledge of allegiance and move on to their math assignment. 

One young boy Jayden was very proud..."watch me do math," and it was great to see another little girl helping a classmate with his assignment. Ever the professor I couldn’t resist sitting with a kid who was stuck on a problem to help him figure it out. I have written in the blog about studies that often demonstrate the efficacy of school breakfast. But stats aside you can see it in the energy and excitement as the kids start their day. 

Before leaving I had an interesting sidebar with the food service person from Whitsons, Mike Koch. They serve 3,500 meals a week in just this one school (that's over 100,000 in one year!). We started doing that math on meals served system-wide...dollars into the economy...jobs. I often speak of the business case for solving hunger. Food is such a basic need and providing it to people who are struggling can certainly improve health outcomes, but it also provides so many communal benefits. It’s hard not to think of the possibilities in Hartford and the almost million dollars a year the city leaves on the table in potential USDA funding for school breakfast. 

This brings my #SchoolBreakfastChallenge to a close. It was an invaluable experience, and I think that next year for Hunger Action Month we may invite more Foodshare staff to participate. I have mentioned several times that this experience will never match the realities of living in poverty––I think it's really important that I make this clear. I will go back to my routine, starting each day with a healthy breakfast...not worrying about whether I will have lunch or dinner. For me, this challenge served as a reminder that we can do better...that 1 out of every 2 kids should never have to struggle in school because they are too hungry too focus. 

Now I put forth a challenge to you. Lincoln Financial––a proud partner in the fight against hunger––has provided generous support for initial planning and conversations, but we still need a lot more to maximize our impact on this issue. We need your help to answer the question, "What can we do together to leverage the million dollars a year that the City of Hartford leaves on the table for school breakfast, and how can we help other communities in Hartford and Tolland counties expand their school breakfast program?"

 

James Arena-DeRosa, President & CEO

 
Join the conversation by commenting below or sharing your thoughts on social media. Don't forget to tag @Foodshare and use the hashtag #SchoolBreakfastChallenge.


You can also follow my fellow CEO at the Connecticut Food Bank, Bernie Beaudreau, as he shares his SNAP Challenge experience this week.

Day 5: #SchoolBreakfastChallenge

   
No breakfast today
 
No breakfast for the third day in a row, and it's Monday! After a weekend away from work, we all struggle to push through the Monday morning grind. So what about kids who haven’t eaten well and who face yet another morning without breakfast? 

Under our current education system, learning is a group experience. It is important to note here that school breakfast helps ALL children...not just those who happen to come from poor families. Many parents send their kids to school well fed and raring to go, but it only takes a few cranky kids to disrupt an entire classroom. If your neighbors’ kids are hungry it affects what and how your kids learn in class.

In one of my earlier jobs I ran the public affairs program for Secretary of State. As part of my job I used to visit schools to talk about roles and responsibilities as citizens, the importance of voting, access to public information...for the most part it was a great experience and (hopefully) the kids gained something from it. I remember one specific morning with a group of 10 year old kids––several were cranky and fidgety, and a couple even asked me if I had food. Not having food to start the day changes everything. You don’t have to take the #SchoolBreakfastChallenge to feel that...try skipping coffee one morning and see how you do!

I sometimes hear, "Parents should feed their own kids breakfast every day at home.” Wouldn’t that be lovely? I’ve also read about America in the 1950s––one parent made enough money to support the entire family, while the other  parent stayed home to make sure everyone had breakfast before heading to school and work. Most parents I talk to, regardless of economic level, talk about “chaos in the morning.” I wonder how many times my boys went off to school without breakfast...and it wasn't a lack of desire or resources. So, if the numbers work and all kids can have breakfast in school, why not help the entire classroom?

Heading into the home stretch now...only a couple of days to go, but I know when this is all over I will have breakfast each morning. So, while I can empathize with all those for whom hunger is a way of life, I will never fully understand the uncertainty kids must face during these difficult times. 

 

James Arena-DeRosa, President & CEO

Day 6 >

 
Join the conversation by commenting below or sharing your thoughts on social media. Don't forget to tag @Foodshare and use the hashtag #SchoolBreakfastChallenge.


You can also follow my fellow CEO at the Connecticut Food Bank, Bernie Beaudreau, as he shares his SNAP Challenge experience this week.

Day 4: #SchoolBreakfastChallenge

   
No breakfast today
 
Halfway through my journey. No breakfast––another morning of watching the clock. It's Sunday, so no visit to the school nurse today. 

1 in 5 kids in America don’t get enough nutritious food. Ever wonder what some kids eat on the weekends? There is nothing more depressing than meeting a kid who doesn’t like weekends, or snow days...who loathes school vacation, who misses school, all because they are worried about not getting enough food to eat. 

While it is not optimal, in the short term some food banks and pantries operate a backpack program in partnership with local schools. While I greatly appreciate supporters of these programs––they help kids get through a difficult time––it is a bit of an indictment of the U.S. economic system that we have to send kids home for the weekend with backpacks full of food. A sustainable path to nutritious meals it is not. I much prefer to back federal nutrition programs that provide institutional support to children––school breakfast, school lunch, after-school snack or even communal suppers.

I’m not much of a “foodie” but, when you skip a meal, you tend to think about food all the time. I have noticed that on days when I miss breakfast I grab an “empty calorie,” sugar-laden treat late in the afternoon. Everyone should have a snack once in a while if they enjoy it, but sugary snacks are not a substitute for a healthy meal.  

One of the great ironies we face in the fight against hunger is that many of the same communities struggling with hunger are also experiencing significantly higher rates of childhood obesity. While it may seem counter-intuitive, those sweet treats quickly satisfy a sugar low so, instead of a piece of fruit or simple breakfast sandwich at Dunkin' Donuts to keep my blood sugar steady, I reach for a piece of candy.

(For the record, that’s my second endorsement of Dunkin' Donuts––they should help us fund the Hartford breakfast initiative, don't you think?)

Then there's the cost...soda and snacks are often cheaper and more accessible. Society emphasizes “eating healthy, nutritious food,” but if I showed you a glass of milk, a glass of water, a glass of cranberry juice and a glass of soda––the cheapest item, because of U.S. farm subsidy policy, is the soda. It is clearly not the healthiest option, but parents and kids face these choices every day, trying to stretch their dollars. I recently enjoyed a visit with some local Connecticut farmers who very generously support Foodshare. I am all for collaborating with American farmers––why aren’t we supporting the growing of the foods that we know are healthy?  

 

James Arena-DeRosa, President & CEO

Day 5 >

 
Join the conversation by commenting below or sharing your thoughts on social media. Don't forget to tag @Foodshare and use the hashtag #SchoolBreakfastChallenge.


You can also follow my fellow CEO at the Connecticut Food Bank, Bernie Beaudreau, as he shares his SNAP Challenge experience this week.

Day 3: #SchoolBreakfastChallenge

   
No breakfast today
 
Ugh, the "NO breakfast card" again.  I have a long drive today so I may have to use my "visit the nurse" pass. Talk to any school nurse and you'll quickly learn why some kids visit so frequently. While "stomachaches" and "headaches" are the ruse, most often kids who have nothing to eat in the morning know that the nurse always has snacks on hand. Many K-6 teachers, in addition to buying their own classroom supplies, also stock up on snacks for kids who aren't getting enough to eat at home and can't get breakfast at school. 

How many of you jump on the computer as soon as you get to work? Now try doing that without your morning coffee or snack. How many kids are jumping on computers, solving math problems, writing and reading without any "fuel?" 

I remember attending a statewide breakfast summit hosted by our good friends at End Hunger CT.  The most insidious takeaway was hearing how some school systems in Connecticut, that did not serve breakfast on a typical day, made sure the kids have breakfast on national test days! Gee, why do they do that? Do they thinks kids who have breakfast might actually perform better? Hmmm...

I'm a little off as I start my drive. I fended off my last "no breakfast" headache by taking some aspirin, probably not the best thing on an empty stomach. No aspirin on hand today. OK, I can't do this. I am bending the rules, pulling over for coffee and a snack. I will "grab and go." 

Which reminds me, while participation in school breakfast still lags in our region, there are some exciting things happening at the community level. In a great example of community collaboration, Foodshare's Hunger Acton Team in Bloomfield––working alongside school foodservice and the town––helped spark a "grab and go" breakfast program. While breakfast in the classroom is optimal, "grab and go" is way better then breakfast before the bell. When done right, it can incorporate many kids without calling attention to those who are "in need." They are still rolling out more expanded involvement, but already participation numbers are climbing in Bloomfield. They have the second best participation rate in the region!

The shining star for school breakfast in Greater Hartford is, hands down, New Britain. I have only been here a year and it is clear they are doing everything right, engaging the entire community in an effort to connect more kids with food.  On Wednesday, I will wrap up this week-long challenge by joining local foodservice leaders and school administrators in New Britain for a very special breakfast in the classroom where I hope to get even more details about the great work they are doing. 

As I write this blog I understand the "new" superintendent of schools in Hartford is moving on. We all make life choices, but I hope whomever takes her place––as well as the committee that hires the next superintendent––takes into account health and nutrition as a building block of education. Academics in the absence of a holistic approach to nurturing our children underserves the community.

 

James Arena-DeRosa, President & CEO

Day 4 >

 
Join the conversation by commenting below or sharing your thoughts on social media. Don't forget to tag @Foodshare and use the hashtag #SchoolBreakfastChallenge.


You can also follow my fellow CEO at the Connecticut Food Bank, Bernie Beaudreau, as he shares his SNAP Challenge experience this week.

Day 2: #SchoolBreakfastChallenge

   
Ate breakfast today
 
Do I get breakfast today or not? Why did I let them talk me into doing this? I like my morning rituals––so do kids, they like knowns. I can’t imagine a “ritual” of uncertainty. 

Today is my lucky day...I drew the breakfast card. As a kid this means I am fortunate to attend a school that offers free breakfast. Sadly, as I learned from a young friend of mine, that doesn't guarantee a meal...“The sidewalks were kind of messy from yesterday's snowstorm, so it took us longer to walk to school today. I made class but was too late for breakfast in the cafeteria.” 

Breakfast in the classroom would end that uncertainty and provide a healthy start to the day for every kid. So why is breakfast so important? Let’s explore the answer as I enjoy my breakfast sandwich. 

In one of the great paradoxes of our time, communities with the highest incidence of hunger also have the highest incidence of childhood obesity and health complications such as diet-related diabetes and heart disease! Ironically enough, here we sit in Hartford, the insurance capital of the world. The impact of hunger, poor nutrition, and obesity on health care costs in this country is a ticking time bomb––likely to cost the country hundreds of billions of dollars in the years to come. But it doesn't have to...

Research shows that starting every day with a healthy breakfast has life-long benefits for both the individual and the community. The USDA, in partnership with the School Nutrition Association, has significantly improved the nutritional value of food served in schools. As a result, children who receive school breakfast experience lower obesity rates and greater productivity both in the classroom and in life. 

When President Truman started the school breakfast program almost 75 years ago it was in response to military concerns that too many WWII recruits were turned down because they were malnourished and not strong enough to serve. “Operation Readiness” now recognizes the importance of community health as a national security imperative.  This concern has since spread into public service arenas requiring healthy, fit bodies and minds––fire departments and police academies are also struggling to fill vacant slots with healthy young Americans. 

So why is breakfast so important? Food and nutrition is foundational to everything we do. Health and education outcomes are linked to our ability as a society to provide consistent access to healthy meals for every child in Greater Hartford and in America. Positive change is possible...let's not wait for the ticking time bomb to explode.

 

James Arena-DeRosa, President & CEO

Day 3 >

 
Join the conversation by commenting below or sharing your thoughts on social media. Don't forget to tag @Foodshare and use the hashtag #SchoolBreakfastChallenge.


You can also follow my fellow CEO at the Connecticut Food Bank, Bernie Beaudreau, as he shares his SNAP Challenge experience this week.