Summer Meal Champions!

On a rainy Saturday morning in August, thirty-one kids from five towns made their way to Parker Memorial Community Center in Hartford for the Expect More Healthy Kids Championship Event. On the line were awesome prizes: a Minion’s bike, an electric scooter, a Fitbit, and gift cards to Toys R Us and Target.

Leading up to this event, more than 250 children competed each week in July to earn ribbons and an invitation to the final competition. From the kid’s perspective, it was fun and games. But Foodshare had a serious reason behind it -- getting the word out about free summer meals in our region.

Why does Foodshare care about a federal program like summer meals? We realize that the 11.5 million meals we provide at pantries, shelters and community kitchens are only one part of the equation. To keep Connecticut kids strong, we need strong programs in place like school meals and summer meals.

The USDA Summer Meals Program began as an extension of the school lunch program in 1968, yet it is still the ‘best kept secret’ in child nutrition programs. Few parents know that there are free meals for kids at 600 locations across Connecticut -- less than 25 percent of kids who receive a free or reduced cost lunch at school will get a summer meal!

So while the kids enjoyed fun activities – field games, basketball, and Yard Goats baseball - we were asking them to go back to friends and family as ‘ambassadors’ for the free meals at their summer programs. A week of nutrition education rounded the activities out, with the help of the SNAP4CT staff who taught basic “My Plate” rules for healthy eating during relay races. Fox61 and iHeart Radio provided a media spotlight to get the word out. Panera provided delicious sandwiches for competitors and their families at the championship, and donations to Foodshare from their new delivery program. Stop & Shop provided the funding for us to do this important outreach. It was truly a team effort and we can Expect More Healthy Kids as a result.

Foodshare thanks all of our partners and special thanks to the City of Hartford Department of Families, Children, Youth and Recreation who graciously facilitated activities on two sites and provided the Championship venue. Thanks to Fox61 morning anchor Tim Lammers for acting as master of ceremonies, a passionate advocate for Connecticut kids!

Ford and Foodshare Fight Hunger

Now is the time to purchase that Ford that you have always wanted! 

During the month of August, local Ford dealerships within the Hartford and Tolland region will support our hungry neighbors through their “Drive Against Hunger Campaign”. For every car sold, the dealership will donate $10 to Foodshare.

Click on flyer below for more details

Grant Thornton Gives Back

Recently, volunteers from Grant Thornton sorted enough produce to provide an outstanding 17,352 meals for our hungry neighbors! Thank you for spending the day at Foodshare as we work together to solve hunger in our community.

Would you like to volunteer with Foodshare? Click here to sign up and explore opportunities, or contact Edna Bailey, Volunteer Coordinator, for more information.  

Aetna Fills Foodshare With Volunteers

This Wednesday was a busy day at Foodshare! We hosted 170 volunteers from Aetna who spent the entire day sorting food to help our neighbors in need, and learning more about hunger in our community.

Our facility at the Hartford Regional Market hosted about 45 of the volunteers and the remaining 125 volunteers were hard at work at our facility in Bloomfield. The volunteers were part of Aetna’s summer internship program, and they included students from over 80 colleges and universities from across the country.

The volunteers were divided into groups and rotated through different stations: sorting donations of meat and other grocery items, sorting produce, and preparing mesh bags that Foodshare uses to pack produce. The Aetna interns also learned more about hunger and its many causes through a Hunger 101 role-play and discussion activity.

Altogether, this energetic group from Aetna sorted 28,500 pounds of food in a single day. That’s enough to provide close to 24,000 meals for our neighbors in need.

A big thank you to the volunteers and staff members from Aetna for taking time to give back to the Greater Hartford community!

Do you have a group that’s interested in volunteering at Foodshare? Click here to learn more!

Foodshare Was In The House

Foodshare was thrilled to join the Yard Goats at their 4th of July Celebration Game!

Foodshare staff members, families and volunteers came out to support the Yard Goats and Foodshare Sunday July 2.

The night began with our Interim President & CEO, Jack Hackendorn throwing the first pitch. Members of the Development team were then presented with a check from the Ford Motor Company Fund in the amount of $57,000 which reflected their support over the past few years – a great partnership!

A group of passionate volunteers also engaged in the fun by collecting donations and educating Yard Goat fans about the issue of hunger at each entrance of the stadium.
They collected enough money to provide over 4,000 meals to people in Hartford and Tolland counties.

A huge thank you to the Hartford Yard Goats for supporting us in our effort to end hunger and help those in need!

 Click here for more photos->

GE Powers Up for Foodshare

Morning Crew

Two employee groups from GE Power in Windsor recently volunteered at Foodshare, taking time and energy to help us provide more healthy food for our neighbors who struggle with hunger. One group volunteered with us in the morning, and the other in the afternoon.

Afternoon Crew

 Altogether, the two groups of GE Power employees sorted 7,500 pounds of food, which is enough to provide over 6,200 meals for our neighbors throughout the Greater Hartford region!

The GE Power team showed great dedication to Foodshare and our mission to solve hunger, as expressed by Mike, a member of the company’s Research and Development team:

"As people who work in the area, we feel it's important to give back to the community. 
Foodshare is a critical resource for many local people and a great way for us to support them."

Thank you GE Power for all of your hard work and support!

Liberty Mutual is Back in Action!

For the fourth year in a row, a devoted team of staff members from Liberty Mutual took time from their busy schedules, to volunteer at Foodshare.

The group successfully sorted and packed more than 3,000 pounds of healthy food, the equivalent of 2,500 meals! These items will be distributed to our Greater Hartford neighbors in the coming weeks.

Thank you Liberty Mutual for your much appreciated support!

Mitchell Volvo Drives in More Meals

Jill (middle) with Al & Diana of Foodshare's Development Team

Jill Mitchell of Mitchell Volvo is joining us as a Bronze Sponsor for the 34th Annual Foodshare Walk Against Hunger on May 7!

This sponsorship will help us ensure all funds raised through the Walk can directly support our neighbors in need, providing healthy meals and access to long-term support for people in your community. Thank you Jill and Mitchell Volvo for your support!

Would you like to join in on the Walk? Register today >

Foodshare's 4th Annual HAT Symposium

Passionate. Energetic. Committed. These three words describe each individual that attended the 4th Annual Foodshare Hunger Action Team (HAT) Symposium on March 23.

A large number of Foodshare staff, partners, and friends gathered at the Chrysalis Training Center in Hartford, to acknowledge the accomplishments of our 20 Hunger Action Teams. Foodshare staff offered encouraging words to all of our Hunger Action Team members, recognizing the incredible work they make possible. One of the highlights was, of course, the keynote speaker—Dr. M. Saud Anwar, a physician and humanitarian from South Windsor, as well as a founding member of the South Windsor Hunger Action Team.

With microphone in hand, Dr. Anwar spoke passionately about health outcomes and the positive effects that come from eating nutritious food.

Dr. M Saud Anwar

Guests were inspired by his words, including Community Involvement VISTA, Sarah Hill, who had this to share, "After hearing his outstanding analogies, I personally felt very motivated to change the way that I think about food portions, and how to handle my own health habits." 

Stop & Shop's Our Family Foundation was recognized for their ongoing support of Foodshare's efforts to combat child hunger, through Hunger Action Teams and other vital programs. Representatives from each HAT painted a picture of their own team’s accomplishments over the past year, and offered an update on plans for new possibilities. The symposium culminated in an opportunity for guests to connect with one another during breakout sessions to explore a variety of hunger-related topics, from rescuing healthy food to college food pantries.

You can catch a glimpse of our wonderful keynote speaker on Foodshare's YouTube channel, or view more photos of the symposium. 

Interested in joining a HAT? Contact Foodshare's Community Network Builders, Jim or Bea for more information.

UCONN and Shoprite Scored High for Hunger

This past week UConn and Shoprite hit the court to support one of Foodshare's partner agencies, Hands On Hartford.

During the Huskies vs. Temple game, both organizations held a joint food drive, successfully collecting enough food to provide more than 1,900 meals for our hungry neighbors!

Thank you to UConn and ShopRite for all of your efforts. We are so grateful!

Farmington Bank Knows, It Takes More Than Food

The Farmington Bank Foundation recently presented Foodshare's Chief Operating Officer, Chris O' Rourke, with a gift in the amount of $10,000.

This donation was part of a five-year pledge in support of Foodshare's long-term work to fight hunger. Urban Alliance and University of St. Joseph, partners in our More Than Food initiative, were also in attendance, having received support from the foundation.

Thank you Farmington Bank for your continued support!

UCONN and ShopRite Team Up To Fight Hunger

ShopRite will be fighting hunger courtside at the Huskies vs. Temple game on Wednesday, February 22, at the XL Center in Hartford.

As Partners In Caring, they will be hosting a food drive to benefit Hands on Hartford, a Foodshare partner serving our hungry neighbors in downtown Hartford.

Each fan that donates a non-perishable food item will be entered to win an autographed, Geno Auriemma basketball and four tickets to a future game.

Tickets can be purchased online at UConnTickets.com or call 1-877-AT-UCONN. Game will begin at 7pm.

Harmonizing Against Hunger

Very recently, TRUMPF Inc., a manufacturing company located in Farmington, held its annual Winter Gala for all staff members. Attendees enjoyed a sit down dinner, along with entertainment by Rock Voices, a New England rock choir that consists of three-hundred singers.

In lieu of getting compensated, Rock Voices chose to make a monetary donation to Foodshare, which was presented on their behalf by TRUMPF.

This donation has helped to provide our hungry neighbors with over 6,000 meals--fighting hunger today--while also ensuring access to programs that improve long-term stability!

Thank you Rock Voices and TRUMPF for supporting your local community right here in Greater Hartford!

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 ->

Meals Were Built Thanks to GE

Staff members from GE Power in Windsor surprised us with a donation of food and funds collected during their "End of the Year Gathering." This company-sponsored event recognizes employees for their accomplishments over the past year. As such, Foodshare would like to take a moment to recognize all those who contributed, providing our hungry neighbors with over 1,770 meals and a warm heart to get through these tough times. 

Thank you GE Power for your continued support! 

Panera Leads in Clean-Food Revolution

"Panera Bread has finally completed its mission to make its menu 100% 'clean,' cutting all 96 additives and ingredients the company identified on its "No No List" two years ago.

Panera first announced its plan to cut all artificial ingredients in May 2015. With the completion of its promise, Panera became the first national chain to complete such a commitment."

Ron Shaich, CEO states the following on the company's achievement:

"What the leadership at Panera spends its time working on, is figuring out where is the world going to be for our guests in the next two to five years, and making sure Panera is there when it gets there."

Source: CT Post, 1/13/17, Read More...

Seed Pods take Root

Last summer Foodshare's Food Sourcing Manager received a call from Feeding America with a large supply of 50,000 seed pods from MiracleGro. Together with our Community Engagement Team, we were successful in distributing over 40,000 seeds that will now be used for various community-based projects.

To highlight just a few of those projects:

• Bristol Housing will be using the seeds for a gardening project with their elderly residents. A portion will also be used to coincide with their “Reading is Fun” program for children. Each child who participates will help to plant the veggies, keeping whatever they grow. 

• Hartford Food System is currently using the seed pods both with the early learning center program, the Little City Sprouts, and as a giveaway on their Hartford Mobile Market.

• Trinity College Community Garden will be using the seeds for their Read and Seed project.

• Knox seed pods will be donated to all twenty community gardens within their network. Gardeners will donate much of the produce that is grown to local food banks and community kitchens.

Thank you to MiracleGro for this unexpected donation, and to all the individuals and organizations exponentially "growing" good in the community as a result!

Advertising Hunger with "Feed the Need"

Right before Christmas an energetic group of staff members from Cronin & Company, an independent marketing communications agency, drove to Foodshare in four vehicles with nearly 2,000 pounds of food.

The items were donated on behalf of the company's very first "Feed the Need" campaign, during which staff members sent an e-card to clients, employees and friends soliciting website clicks. For every user that visited the site, the company donated five non-perishable food items to help feed our neighbors.

Chief Creative and Growth Officer, Steve Wolfberg also presented a check in the amount of $500.

Thank you Cronin & Company for supporting our work, and for doing it in such a fun and creative way!

View more photos >

Belcan's Annual Giving Provides Over 4,700 Meals!

Al, Foodshare's Fundraising Events Specialist, with Belcan employees

Late last week--about 72 hours before Christmas--Belcan, an engineering consultant and staffing solutions company stopped by with a precious gift that will provide over 4,700 meals for our hungry neighbors.

The money was raised through Belcan's annual giving campaign. Staff members choose which charity they would like to support, and this year they selected Foodshare.

Thank you Belcan for your continued support!

Pratt & Whitney Succeeds With CSFP Boxes

Recently, a group of motivated employees from Pratt & Whitney spent their Tuesday night building CSFP boxes for our local seniors. As regulars to our warehouse, they understand how much we rely on volunteer support to get food to those most in need. When several members were unable to make it that evening, the remaining volunteers took it as a challenge, successfully filling 315 CSFP boxes in just under 2 hours!

The Commodity Supplemental Food Program is a service-based program that works to improve the health of low-income elderly persons at least 60 years of age by supplementing their diets with nutritious USDA Foods.

Thank you Pratt & Whitney for for all of your hardwork!