Big Y Fed Our Hungry Neighbors in a Big Way

Last week, Foodshare received a generous load of  non-perishable items  from Big Y. These items were collected through Big Y's 7th Annual Care to Share Sack Hunger Campaign. The campaign itself consisted of customers purchasing $10 pre-filled bags of healthy food items or a card at any Big Y location, to help provide much needed protein and staple items. The donations were then distributed to numerous  local food banks, homebound elderly assistance programs, day care centers, soup kitchens along with many other community-based organizations.

Thanks to their contribution, Foodshare was able to provide over 26,000 meals to our hungry neighbors!


Thank you Big Y for all of your efforts in fighting to end hunger!

View Photos Here ->

FPA Launches "A Place at The Table" Campaign

"The Food Policy Action Education Fund just recently announced the launch of A Place at the Table, a three-year national media campaign to inspire America and our leaders to make ending hunger in the U.S. a national priority.  Backed by $300M of donated media from major media partners; including broadcast, digital, out of home and print advertising."

The campaign kicked off with a public service announcement made by First Lady Michelle Obama:

 

Source: Food Policy Action, 1/4/17, Learn More...

Feeding those in need through fashion

Jade Marketing Group employees & Al, Foodshare's Fundraising Event Specialist

Just recently, Big Y World Class Market, iHeart Radio and Jade Marketing Group, LLC, jean design and manufacturing company, held their 6th annual Food For Fashion campaign, an extension of Big Y's Care to Share Sack Hunger Program.

The campaign itself has raised over $100,000 for Connecticut Food Bank, Foodshare and various food banks across the region. Jade Marketing Group, LLC employees volunteer their time to bring a Pink Jean Machine to Big Y locations, major Connecticut events and large Connecticut employers. The "machine" offers a free pair of men or women’s jeans for every $10 donation towards the Big Y Care to Share Sack Hunger Program. 100% of the proceeds help provide food and Big Y gift cards to all local food banks in CT and MA.

Stay tuned for details about the 2017 Food For Fashion program from Renee DiNino, host of iHeart Media’s Community Access.

Thank you Jade Marketing Group, Big Y, and iHeart Radio for your efforts to solve hunger!

My Giving Story: There’s nothing to be ashamed of

Paul Ferri is a devoted husband, and father to two active little boys. For 19 years, he served his neighbors as a firefighter and EMT in Greater Hartford. If you were the victim of an emergency, there was a very good chance Paul would be the man on the scene to help. But then Paul became the person who needed help. He lost his job, and his life fell apart in less than two months. His family was hurting and his sons were hungry.

“I never thought it was going to happen to me, especially once I had my two boys. I actually cried because I was ashamed that I couldn’t provide for my family. I accept it much more now. There’s nothing to be ashamed of. People fall on hard times. The most important thing is your family…if that means asking someone for help, you’ve got to ask them for help.”

In exchange for receiving food, this dedicated husband and father volunteered to provide food for others.

How will you give back today?

 

My Giving Story: The last thing on my mind

"I was unemployed for 8 months in 2014. I did end up finding temporary work, but as a single mother it wasn't enough...I was served with an eviction notice. While I was scrambling to figure out what to do, I received a letter from our town offering to provide us with an entire Turkey dinner for Thanksgiving. I was blown away. Honestly, Thanksgiving was the last thing on my mind but the gesture meant so much more to me than I can put into words. It gave me hope and showed me that people really do care."

This mom just donated to help other families who are living with hunger enjoy a real Thanksgiving.

How will you give back today?

 

Great by 8

Pictured left to right: Beatrice Maslowski (Community Network Builder, Foodshare), Agnes Curry (University of St. Joseph), Carrie Titolo (Shop Rite), Beth Bye (CT State Senator), Kathryn Deane (Wolcott School), Trish Molloy (WH Nutrition Services) and Saul Spigel (Foodshare Volunteer).

The West Hartford Hunger Action Team (HAT) welcomed State Senator Beth Bye at their July 13th meeting. Topics for discussion at the meeting included establishing West Hartford as potential site for the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) which provides a monthly box of food for seniors. Currently there are over 300 West Hartford seniors who qualify based on age and income.

Senator Bye provided information about Great by 8, a local organization that focuses on ensuring that every West Hartford child is great by age eight. The HAT will be providing information about SNAP assistance for inclusion with the distribution to 1,000 West Hartford families as part of the Great by 8 outreach this fall.

Thank you Senator Bye for your support!

For more information about Foodshare’s Hunger Action Teams or to join the West Hartford Hunger Action Team, please contact Beatrice Maslowski at 860-286-9999 x180.

Volunteers filling the space and making a difference!

When I returned from a lunch meeting yesterday, this is what the Foodshare parking lot looked like!  I drove all the way around the building and the only empty spaces were one reserved for a hybrid vehicle and those reserved for handicapped permits.  In July!  Wait a minute, July, you say? I thought Foodshare's parking lot only looked like this during the Thanksgiving season?

With the continuing growing commitment of people throughout Hartford and Tolland counties, this is what “Join the Movement toEnd Hunger” looks like!

The expansion of Foodshare’s Bloomfield distribution center, made possible by the “Bridging the Gap Campaign,” means we now have room to accommodate much larger volunteer groups.  Today’s large group was from Hartford Hospital's Intern program.

In fact, there were just over 50 volunteers helping to reclaim donated food in the expanded work area, which translates to more food available, more quickly.

In addition to the 40 volunteers from Hartford Hospital, there were 5 of our regular volunteers, and 7 community service volunteers working in the expanded volunteer area yesterday afternoon.  These volunteers sorted and packed for distribution 8,525.5 pounds of frozen meat and 8,100 pounds of bread!  Some of this food is, no doubt, on Mobile Foodshare trucks or in local food pantries, being handed out to people in need today!

Of course, there were also a few more volunteers working in the office or other parts of the building.

A portion of the Hartford Hospital group pauses for a photo

Would you like to Join the Movement and volunteer to help solve hunger?  Go here for some more information and feel free to contract Keith to organize a group from your workplace, school, or place or worship, or contact Edna to arrange to volunteer as an individual.

Oh, and in case you are wondering, I couldn’t very well park my car in a handicapped space, so my SUV ended up in the hybrid space.  I’m not yet driving a hybrid as none of the early models would have towed my camping trailer.  Maybe my next car!

Faith community engages with Foodshare

Over 85 people attended Foodshare’s Faith Community Campaign Kick-off on Tuesday!  Guests were welcomed with music by local singer Jolie Rocke-Brown and Faith Teachings By Rabbi David Small, Reverend Sara Salomons, and Dr. Reza Mansoor, before an eye-opening activity hosted by Katie Martin and campaign presentation by yours truly.

Foodshare has a big goal for the faith Community: 50 congregations setting goals to help raise $50,000 and over 2,500 volunteer hours by the end of the Campaign.  Given the excitement on Tuesday, we think it can be done.  27 people signed up bring information back to their faith communities about the goal!

Over the next week or so, we’ll be following up with individuals who attended and sending a mailing about the event and challenge out to groups that were not able to attend.  If you know an organization that you think should be included, please contact Alicia at aflynn@foodshare.org.

Join us on Tuesday evening to learn more about how faith organizations are working to solve hunger

Hunger Action Teams from across the region come together

Our first Hunger Action Team Symposium last week was a great success. The event, held at the Beth El Temple in West Hartford, drew 66 people, who included representatives from all 13 of Foodshare’s Hunger Action Teams. 

The purpose of the half-day forum was to bring together representatives across all HATs to share best practices and provide time for networking opportunities.  The agenda included the following:

A Best Practices panel discussion with representatives from Vernon, East Hartford, Hartford’s Northeast neighborhood, and West Hartford included response to donor fatigue, providing parent meals during summer meals, a community survey, as well as a family self-sufficiency program.  

A grant writing workshop was presented by Miranda Muro, Program Impact Manager at Foodshare. 

Eileen Peltier, Associate Dean for Workforce Development at Asnuntuck Community College provided an overview of SNAP Education and Training, which included a statement from a recent graduate who is now employed full time as a result of the program.

There were also opening remarks from Alicia Flynn, Foodshare’s Vice President & Chief Development Officer, and Dawn Crayco, Deputy Director of End Hunger CT!

The HAT Program receives its lead funding from the Our Family Foundation by Stop & Shop New England. Food from the Crown Market was generously donated by Barry & Cindy Lazowski.  Knox Parks Foundation in Hartford provided 85 packets of vegetable seeds for attendees to take home for personal or community gardens.  Based on feedback from participants, we’re planning additional HAT networking and training opportunities in the future.

Congratulations to all of the Hunger Action Teams and to Jim Palma and Bea Maslowski, the Foodshare staff members who further this important work!

East Hartford Hunger Action Team hosts forum

The crowd begins to gather...

The East Hartford Hunger Action Team hosted a forum called “A Conversation about Hunger in East Hartford” on Wednesday evening at the New Covenant Methodist Church.  The forum had a total of 61 people in attendance and 13 local organizations involved in food and hunger issues set up informational tables. 

I provided an overview of Foodshare’s "Bridging the Gap, A Community Plan to End Hunger," which was well received by a very engaged audience.  In addition, State Representative Tim Larson shared his thoughts and reactions to what he had heard and offered his assistance in solving the challenges of hunger in town.

Jim Crawford from End Hunger CT! explains some
of the issues and programs to State Representative
Tim Larson

Other speakers from East Hartford school food services and End HungerCT! were also on the agenda.  It was a great event, with a lot of really engaged people who asked good questions and stayed after the formal program ended to ask more. 

We look forward to seeing the coverage in the East Hartford Gazette!

Grainger donates to campaign

Last week, the generous team from Grainger surprised me with a $40,000 gift to Foodshare's "Bridging the Gap" campaign.

Long time supporters, some of the Grainger folks had come to our grand opening back in October and learned about not just our expanded building, but our expanded programs designed to reduce the need for food assistance.  They got excited about it and wanted to make sure Grainger was part of these new initiatives.

Thank you!

Grand Re-Opening Event a Success!

More than 200 people joined us at Foodshare last night to celebrate the complete of our building expansion project and rededicate both the facilities and ourselves to the cause of fighting hunger.  Lieutenant Governor Nancy Wyman is the Honorary Chair of the "Bridging the Gap" campaign and delivered the inspirational opening remarks.

We were thrilled to have our brand new Mobile Foodsharetruck on display and to honor the Chase Family Foundations who made this new truck possible.  For more than 20 years, the Chase Family have been vigorous and generous supporters of Foodshare. Arnold Chase served on the Foodshare Board of Directors in the 90s, and Cheryl Chase has served as a Director and now an honorary Director for 15 years.  The Chase family support extends beyond their involvement at the Board level.  They host the Chase Challenge at our annual Walk Against Hunger and donated one of our Mobile Foodshare trucks, which brings fresh fruits, vegetables, and other nutritious perishables directly to people in need in their own neighborhoods. 

Now, for our Bridging the Gap campaign, the Chase Family Foundations have generously donated a new Mobile Foodshare truck, as one of our older ones was at the end of its useful life. The new truck will not only be more reliable, but also more sophisticated. It has multiple refrigeration chambers so that produce can be kept at the ideal temperature with less waste. Nothing makes our drivers happier than being able to deliver more and better food. We were pleased to be able to display and dedicate this new truck.

Honorary Director David Urbanik reads
Cheryl Chase's remarks to a full house.

Although the Chase’s could not be with us, due to a family emergency, Cheryl Chase sent some remarks, which included, “It is our honor to support this campaign and the expanding work of Foodshare. Foodshare over the years has shown itself to be a remarkably responsible organization. Its plans are carefully laid and diligently followed through. Moreover, you make a demonstrable difference in addressing the problem. We consider a donation to Foodshare an investment in our community. It’s an investment that has demonstrated impact and large returns. And it an investment that we are happy to make. The Mobile Foodshare program is a case in point. Foodshare saw a problem—the nature of the food bank system was too slow to allow for much produce or the nutrition it offered—and came up with a solution: convert a beverage truck to carry fruits and vegetables quickly and directly from market to neighborhood distribution points.  The Mobile Foodshare program last year delivered enough food, mostly produce, for 3 million meals. They served 67 sites across the area and, most important, provided essential nutrition to children, seniors, families, and individuals. And those numbers are growing each year. We know this truck will make an enormous difference in the lives of many, many people, and we’re proud to have helped make it happen.”

We also recognized the members of the Campaign Cabinet, who have been busy raising the funds needed for this expansion, including Honorary Chair Lieutenant Governor Nancy Wyman; Chair John Patrick, CEO of Farmington Bank; Craig Anderson, United Health Care; Beth Bombara, The Hartford; Tom Buckingham, Phoenix Companies; Mary Kate Cox, University of Saint Joseph; Joe Gianni, Bank of America; David Urbanik, Halloran & Sage, and longtime Foodshare supporters Linda Martyn, Chris Rohrs, Paul Fraleigh, and Kitty Jo Reynolds.. These people, along with the Board and other volunteers and staff, have been working very hard over the last year on this campaign.

Finally, campaign donors of $50,000 or more were invited forward to help cut the ribbons:

·         AE Design Group, the architects for this beautiful new space, represented by Joe Eddy, principal architect

·         Connecticut Light and Power Company represented by Joe Luchini, the Vice President of Electric Systems Operations

·         Farmington Bank, represented by John Patrick, President

·         The Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, represented by Ed Forand, chair of the board of directors

·         Foodshare Board of Directors, represented by Greg Garger

·         Honorary and Former Foodshare Board of Directors, represented by Craig Anderson and David Urbanik

·         Foodshare staff, who collectively donated more than $50,000 to the campaign, represented by Eric Coleman and Mark Cherrington

Six other donors at this level could not be with us but were also recognized:  the Budd Family at the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving; the Cheryl Chase and Stuart Bear Family Foundation; the Rhoda and David Chase Family Foundation; the Sandra and Arnold Chase Family Foundation; Stop and Shop’s Our Family Foundation; and the Beatrice Fox Auerbach Foundation Fund at the Hartford Center for Public Giving.

Thank you to all of the donors who have made this work possible and to everyone who attended last evening.  As the Chair of the Foodshare Board of Directors, Greg Garger, said, “You are all groundbreakers, at the forefront of the movement to end hunger, and essential to our success. As you’ll hear tonight, this building is not the end of our campaign, but the beginning of it—the launch pad for a much bigger community effort.”

We hope you will all be with us the rest of the way, for “When hunger stops, so will we!”

Foodshare Comprehensive Campaign Kicks Off

Foodshare kicked off our comprehensive campaign to raise money for both our building expansion and the expansion of our program work and plan to end hunger with the first meeting of the campaign cabinet this morning. 

L-R:  Rebecca Bryan, Leslie Soler, Beth Bombara, Joe Gianni, John Patrick, Linda Martyn,
Lt. Governor Nancy Wyman, David Urbanik, Gloria McAdam, Chris Rohrs, Tom Buckingham, Alicia Flynn

Campaign Chair John Patrick, President of Farmington Bank, welcomed Lieutenant Governor Nancy Wyman, who is serving as the campaign's Honorary Chair.  After a pause for a photo, the group got down to business of learning about Foodshare's plans and goals and how the campaign will work.

After the business meeting, we got our first "hard hat tour" of the construction site.  It was exciting!  We are excited to be moving ahead with this project!