CFB Happenings

Connecticut Food Bank's "Thanksgiving for All" food drives are in full swing around the region.  From Friday, November 9, through Tuesday, November 20, friends of the food bank will be collecting frozen turkeys, non-perishable trimmings, and cash donations at several area locations.  You can find all of our food drive events listed in the sidebar to the left and on our calendar. 

Last year, CFB distributed nearly 24,000 turkeys and over 456,000 pounds of trimmings to agencies feeding people in six of Connecticut's eight counties.  The need in our communities is still strong and we hope to do even better to get more food to more people who are food insecure.

If you are interested in volunteering for food drives at the following locations, please contact Kim Damien at kdamien@ctfoodbank.org or (203) 469-5000, ext. 311:

11/14, 11/15, 11/16 - Milford: Early morning shift, 6-10AM

11/16 - Naugatuck: Morning shift, 8-10AM

11/20 - Shelton, Danbury: Early morning shift, 5-8AM

Thank you for helping us to provide a happy "Thanksgiving for All."

Feast For Your Ears:  The year-end holidays are fast approaching!  Have you thought about giving yourself a break during the rush and bustle of the season?  You can settle in for some live jazz and help support the Connecticut Food Bank at the same time. 

On Saturday, December 15, jazz quartet Marcel and Magnifique present a holiday jazz concert, "Feast For Your Ears," with portions of their proceeds benefiting CFB.  Advance tickets are $14 for adults and $6 for seniors and children.  The concert will be held at Andrews Memorial Auditorium in Clinton at 7:30PM.

To find out more about Marcel and Magnifique, you can visit their website by clicking here.

CFB's Blue Jeans Ball

Commemorating 25 years of service, Connecticut Food Bank's East Haven warehouse hosted the "Blue Jeans Ball" on Saturday, September 29.  Attendees were treated to delicacies prepared by the Cantering Caterer of Westport, a lounge created by IKEA, and the music of The Downshift Blues Band and solo guitarist Anthony Valentino.

Guests were able to participate in a silent auction, bidding on over 40 items, including a kayak and a Killington vacation.  There was also a treasure chest with over $1,000 worth of prizes up for grabs.  All attendees had the opportunity to purchase a key to try in the chest. with lucky winner Claire Criscuolo taking the big prize.

Many, many sponsors contributed to the success of this event and we thank them all for their participation.  For a full accounting of the "Blue Jeans Ball" and our generous sponsors, read on at CFB's website.

Hunger in the News

On October 27, the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee approved a Farm Bill that provides $4.3 billion in new investments in federal nutrition programs.  This additional funding will benefit the nation's food banks in the face of diminished inventories.  According to America's Second Harvest, an upturn in the agricultural market in recent years has led the U.S. Department of Agriculture to reduce the purchase of surplus food.  Last year's donation from the USDA was $175 million less than in 2003, but the need for food aid to America's hungriest citizens continues to be as important as ever.  The full Senate will take up the Farm Bill debate in upcoming weeks.  As noted in our July issue, a House Farm Bill was passed in July which will increase funding to The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), which provides commodity foods like meat and vegetables for free to low-income Americans, and strengthen the Food Stamp Program.

November 11-17 marks National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, co-sponsored by the National Coalition for the Homeless and the National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness.  Annually held the week before Thanksgiving, events are held to educate campuses and communities, providing steps for individuals to take action against the problem of hunger in our society.  The Student Campaign notes that the week will be spent working on teaching people to organize fasts, letter writing campaigns, and calls to Congress.  To learn more about Awareness Week and how to get involved, check out the Student Campaign and NCH websites.

Success Story

New York City schools and state farmers are working to provide locally grown produce to local children.  The goal is sometimes easier to discuss than it is to implement, as New York City has found.  According to the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC), the city has been able to bring locally grown apples to city schools via the School Food Plus Program, but has had difficulty introducing other forms of produce to the system.  The problem?  Locally grown carrots do not come in kid-sized shapes that entice them to eat their veggies.  The solution?  The New York Times reports that its all a matter of how you slice it.  While the process has been slow, New York children will be eating New York carrots really soon.  Read about the behind-the-scenes process, from idea to implementation, here.

Action

Remember "Choose Your Own Adventure" books from your childhood?  Oxfam has borrowed that template to create an informative "adventure" that is anything but a game.  At HungerBanquet.org, you're invited to walk a few miles in the shoes of one of six impoverished characters from around the world.  You then learn the life circumstances of your "player" - famines, floods, poverty, disease - and make life-altering decisions as new problems and events present themselves.  Should you go to a doctor or a healer?  Will you forego your own meal for your child?  Should you accept an investor's money or go it on your own?  Will that be a boon to you or force you off your land?  The Hunger Banquet serves as an educational reminder about the many people worldwide who need our help to feed themselves and their families.