In the Spotlight: Lowell Fewster

“Many people are one paycheck away from being in need. I wanted to be involved, to help.”

As a retired clergyman and former Peace Corps volunteer, Lowell Fewster has always wanted to help others. He began his Foodshare journey in July 2010 after completing service on the Board of Trustees for a theological seminary. After volunteering regularly at the Regional Market for about a year, he was one of the first volunteers for our Retail Pick-Up Program and trained to become a recruiter. He collects frozen meat from Geissler's Supermarket in Windsor on Tuesday mornings to bring to the Windsor Food and Fuel Bank. After volunteering for nearly 7 years, Lowell retired this week from the Retail Pick-Up Program.

Lowell is an avid photographer whose work has been in Windsor, Bloomfield, and Wethersfield, CT, and Bellows Falls, VT.  He enjoys traveling and has visited Guatemala, Cuba, Morocco, China, and Australia. He and his wife actively work with young children and local refugee families. 

Thank you Lowell for all that you do, and we look forward to your continued visits to the Regional Market!

Interested in Retail Pick-Up or other volunteer opportunities? Click here to sign up!

A Giant Thank You for a Thank You

The giant thank you signs have arrived! And a GIANT thank you to Windsor Marketing Group for donating their time, materials and talent to this project which allows us to thank our food donors in a big way. Foodshare is most grateful for this partnership.

Look for these beautiful signs hanging in a retail store or farm near you!

Sam's Club Goes One Step Further to Fight Hunger

In addition to their current contribution of bakery,  meat and frozen food items, one of our most dedicated retail donors—Sam's Club—will now provide produce for our hungry neighbors.

Enthusiasm from staff at both the Newington and Manchester locations, has already resulted in more than 17,000 meals being shared with those in need. We look forward to seeing that number skyrocket even more.

Thank you to Sam's Club for recognizing the need in our community and stepping up to be the difference!

MFN Shares Words of Gratitude

Recently, our Food Sourcing Coordinator Lauren visited MFN at Zion Lutheran Church in Bristol and received a wonderful poster signed by dozens of clients thanking us for the turkeys they received through Foodshare's Turkey and Thirty campaign. Cheryl Yetke, MFN's director, has made this gesture of gratitude an annual tradition. 

MFN opened its doors in 1982 and has since served over 875,000 meals and this year alone, the Emergency Food Pantry provided food to 1,507 families. MFN is also one of Foodshare's CSFP sites, serving up to 25 seniors after its establishment in July. They even add fresh produce from local farmers to the boxes they receive for added nutrition. 

Cheryl Yetke, Director, with donated toys

During the holidays, Paul Eckstrom and his dedicated volunteers host community dinners; 300 meals were delivered to neighbors who cannot leave their homes, and they served 170 more people in their kitchen. For Thanksgiving, MFN distributed over 300 turkey baskets from Foodshare and Gabe's Basket Brigade. MFN's clothing porch is full thanks to local volunteers and Best Cleaners' donation of 1,200 gently used winter coats. A toy drive brought in hundreds of toys for children from United Way, retired firefighters and police officers, local pubs, and the Veterans Council. 

One volunteer, Laurie, mentioned a moment that stood out to her over the years...a man came in for a winter coat and was teary-eyed as she held up a donated LL Bean vest. The expression on his face is “branded” in her mind and made her even more dedicated to eradicating hunger in Bristol. 

Thank you MFN for your successful efforts in providing for our neighbors! Foodshare is fortunate to have you as a partner. 

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 >

5,193 meals from Fitzgerald's Food

We are so grateful for our local, family-owned retail donors. Fitzgerald's Foods in Simsbury, owned by the DeVoe family, has been a dedicated supporter of Foodshare for years. Each week volunteers pick-up food donations and deliver them directly to a nearby partner program.

<< Pictured here, Bryan and Sandy DeVoe, along with their adorable grandson, proudly accept our thank you sign.

Local Target stores donated over 226,000 meals!

Target continues to be one of our most dedicated partners in the fight to end hunger. All six Target stores in Greater Hartford donate food through Foodshare's Retail Pick-up Program each week, and all that food certainly adds up over the course of a year. Through their dedication to the program and their commitment to helping the community, Target stores donated over 226,000 meals worth of food last year. And what better way to show our appreciation than with a large sign they can hang proudly.

Check out the photos >

Over 675,000 meals from local Walmart stores!

As one of our biggest retail partners, it only made sense to thank Walmart with very big signs. With eight stores participating in Foodshare's Retail Pick-up Program, the donations certainly add up over the year. Last year as a group, the Walmart stores in Greater Hartford donated over 675,000 meals worth of food to our food insecure neighbors. Foodshare is so grateful to Walmart for their dedication to helping the community and for being such generous donors.

Check out the pictures >

More Food, Less Waste thanks to Local Partners!

Food insecurity is a major problem for many families in Greater Hartford. An estimated 137,000 people in Hartford and Tolland counties are at risk of not having enough food, including 1 in 6 kids.

With funding from Price Chopper Supermarkets, CBS Radio Hartford and CBS EcoMedia are partnering with Feeding America to support Greater Hartford’s regional food bank, Foodshare. Together with Johnson Brunetti, Brown Paindiris & Scott LLP, Jefferson Radiology and Kia of East Hartford they will help support Foodshare’s Retail Pick-up program, which helps to rescue and distribute nutritious food from local retailers that would otherwise go to waste. These rescued foods, which are no longer sellable--but remain edible and nutritious--are taken directly to pantries, community kitchens and shelters.

In 2015, Foodshare rescued 14 million pounds of food, providing 11.5 million meals right here in Greater Hartford. This year Foodshare anticipates recovering over 5 million pounds from retail in 2016, improving access to healthy food for many households across the region.


This is all possible thanks to the generosity of donors like you!

Big Thanks to Big Y World Class Markets

Foodshare's Retail Donation Coordinators hit the road to deliver signs to all 11 Big Y stores in Greater Hartford and thank them for their food donations. As a group they donated 372,001 meals worth of food in 2015, which was almost entirely meat donations that came back to our Bloomfield facility to be distributed to our partner programs.

Late in the year, we expanded our partnership with Big Y to pilot a produce donation program that allows volunteers and local pantries, community kitchens, and shelters to pick-up produce and take it right back to their clients to be eaten or distributed that same day. We are thrilled to say that all 11 stores are now donating nutritious produce multiple times each week. These items are having a huge impact on the local communities. One community kitchen commented, "Since getting the fresh produce, we haven't had to open a can or a jar in weeks."

Strong partnerships like the one with Big Y World Class Markets are what make it possible for Foodshare to distribute healthy food options to food insecure people in Hartford and Tolland counties. And that deserves a 'big' thank you!

Thanks to the Greater Hartford Host Lions Club!

Andy Stern has been volunteering with Foodshare for nearly 15 years, and is actively involved in a multitude of ways: speaking on behalf of Foodshare as an anti-hunger Ambassador, transporting donated food through our Retail Pick-up program and giving time to support many special events.

As a member of the Greater Hartford Host Lions Club, he never misses an opportunity to engage his fellow members and just yesterday he stopped by to present us with a check for $1,000.

Thank you Andy, and to all of the wonderful individuals who so generously donated to help our hungry neighbors!

Over 145,000 Meals, thank you PriceRite!

Thank you to all four PriceRite stores in our region for your incredible efforts in 2015. Last year through donations of food and funds, you made it possible to provide 145,916 meals for our hungry neighbors in Greater Hartford.

Thank you so much for all that you do and we look forward to a great 2016!

RPU Volunteers Needed!

Foodshare's Retail Pick-up Program is looking for a few volunteers to help coordinate donations from Walmart Hartford on Flatbush Avenue every Monday and/or Friday mornings at about 9am. This position requires the ability to lift up to 40 pounds and interact with all levels of associates within the store. You should plan to spend an hour or so in the store each time getting donations prepared and approved for pick-up by our Foodshare drivers. Training will be provided.

If interested, please contact Gaye Sgamboti, Retail Donations Coordinator, at 860-286-9999 x142. To learn more about the Retail Pick-up Program, click here.

Volunteer Retail Pick-up Training TOMORROW!

January 21 from 9 a.m. - 11 a.m. @ Foodshare

Retail Pick-up is a great way to learn how Foodshare brings together the food industry and local food programs to combat hunger and reduce waste in communities throughout greater Hartford. We currently have the greatest need for volunteers in the following towns: Bristol, East Windsor, Hartford, Manchester, New Britain, Newington, Southington, and West Hartford. Volunteers must own a vehicle and have a valid driver’s license (mileage reimbursement is available), proof of insurance, ability to lift 20-30 pounds, and 1-2 hrs per week, Monday through Friday. 

Learn more or Register online >

A thank you treat!

Our wonderful Retail Pick-up volunteer Pat Malarney went above and beyond to thank the staff at PriceRite in Wethersfield for all they do for Foodshare by providing some yummy treats. Pat picks up on Mondays and delivers the food donations from PriceRite in Wethersfield to our partner program-Open Hearth-in Hartford.

Thank you Pat for your thoughtfulness in the spirit of Thanksgiving! We are thankful for volunteers like Pat and the wonderful staff at PriceRite!

RPU Volunteers needed in Southington, Enfield and West Hartford!

Ever wonder what happens to all the hot dogs, watermelon, and corn on the cob that doesn't get purchased when Connecticut has a rainy Fourth of July? Did you know that many grocers increase their milk and bread orders ahead of a winter storm because they know consumers are going to want to stock up? Ever wonder what happens to that milk and bread when that storm changes direction and you and I don't do our "storm shopping?"

Years ago, this perfectly edible but unsalable food was sent to the landfills. Fortunately today there are other options. Every weekday, you will find our Retail Pick-Up volunteers collecting unused food from our partners in the food industry, and transporting it to a local food program in the same neighborhood.

Retail Pick-up is a great way to combat hunger locally, while reducing waste in your community. We currently have the greatest need for volunteers in Southington, Enfield and West Hartford. Volunteers must own a vehicle and have a valid driver’s license (mileage reimbursement is available), proof of insurance, ability to lift 20-30 pounds, and 1-2 hrs per week, Monday through Friday.

Contact Gaye Sgamboti for more information, or to sign up for our next training!

300 Hours of Volunteering - WoW!

 

Holly, a dedicated Retail Pick-Up volunteer for over three years who picks up from PriceRite in New Britain has reached her 300 hour mark of volunteering! Holly is a wonderful volunteer who every Friday brings her donations to Nate at HRA Osgood in New Britain, a Foodshare partner program.

Thank you Holly for all of your hard work!

Rescued food feeds hungry people

An article in the Boston Globe today, touched on what many of us in the food banking industry already know -- food waste doesn't have to go to waste! With food being such a hot topic these days, more and more are coming to realize the true benefits of rescuing unused food...feeding thousands of our hungry neighbors (the biggest benefit), significant cost-savings for those making the donation (no disposal fees) and a healthier environment now that less waste is ending up in our local landfills. 

According to this article, "New England is leading the way in reducing food waste, with disposal restrictions [also] enacted last year in Connecticut and Vermont. Rhode Island’s ban goes into effect next year...Awareness is also increasing around the country and the world. As of next year, supermarkets in France will no longer be allowed to throw away food. The major food service company Compass Group USA recently launched a program to use bruised and misshapen produce in its kitchens." (Read the full article)

This is wonderful progress -- and you can help ensure the effort continues, by volunteering your time, or encouraging local retail stores to donate unused product.

Thanks to Joseph Family Markets!

Although we visit just one time each year with the official Foodshare thank you signs, we are grateful for the many ways that the Joseph Family Markets contribute to our mission to solve hunger all year long. Both their Canton and West Hartford ShopRite stores donate food several days each week through the Retail Pick-up Program, are top contributors during their Check Out Hunger campaign, are enthusiastic participants as Turkey & Thirty sites, and are members of Hunger Action Teams in both locations. This effort and dedication adds up to 99,649 meals worth of food that ShopRite of Canton and West Hartford contributed during 2014.

Thank you for being such wonderful partners!

Thanks to ShopRite of Southington!

The Drust family and the staff at ShopRite of Southington are wonderful partners in the fight against hunger. Five days each week the dedicated staff sets aside food donations that are picked up by Foodshare volunteers and transported directly to partner programs just a few miles away where donations are either distributed to individuals or turned into delicious meals. Foodshare's Food Donations Coordinator, Gaye Sgamboti said, "ShopRite of Southington takes such pride in helping the community that the thank you sign was already hung up in the front window before I even left the store." Putting over 49,000 meals worth of food into the community is incredibly generous and certainly worth displaying proudly!