CFB Happenings

CFB Volunteer Wins Service Award:  Pat Jakupkovic of Stratford has been selected as the winner of the 2008 BJ's Wholesale Club Community Hero Award.  Pat is a member of the Quota Club, which has adopted CFB's Kids' BackPack Program. Twice a month, Pat and the Quota Club prepare the packages that will be distributed to more than 500 students so they can have weekend meals during the school year.  

Volunteer Coordinator Kim Damien submitted Pat for the award and said, "Pat is dedicated to making her community a better place day in and day out; one project, one action, one kind word at a time."

Pat was honored at a ceremony on June 24 at the new Stratford BJ's Wholesale Club.  She chose the BackPack Program to receive a $5,000 donation from BJ's as part of her award.  Many thanks to Pat for her service to us and her community, and for the honor of selecting CFB as the recipient of the donation.

Dental Drive Benefits Kids' BackPack Program: Along with nutrition, oral hygeine is one of the most important parts of a child's health. In June, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Plan Administrator, LLC hosted a dental drive to create kits of toothbrushes, toothpaste, and dental floss to accompany the food distributed via the Kids' BackPack Program (see previous story).

As a result of the drive, 1,000 children's dental kits were donated to Connecticut Food Bank, along with 17 boxes of toothbrushes and toothpaste, so that children could "Give Tooth Decay the Brush." Anthem announced the results June 29 during the halftime ceremony of the Connecticut Sun-Phoenix Mercury game at Mohegan Sun Arena. Anthem said the dental drive raised more than $36,000 worth of dental supplies for area children.

Chabaso Bakery Donates Food and Funds:  Forming a new partnership with Connecticut Food Bank, Chabaso Bakery brought an initial delivery of 500 loaves of bread to CFB on June 17.  Owner Charles Nagaro also presented Connecticut Food Bank with a $5,000 check raised during their "Poems for Bread" benefit in late April.

The benefit featured musicians Paul Winter and Glen Velez, who accompanied Coleman Banks as he read translations of Rumi's poetry to commemorate the poet's 800th birthday.

CFB Features New Website:  The new ctfoodbank.org has launched!  The new site was designed by Elevacion, Inc., a company that aids nonprofits in creating quality websites.  CFB's site will be evolving this summer, so please check in regularly.

Comings and Goings:  This is the final e-newsletter written by Chris Webb, who is leaving CFB to attend graduate school.  The Development Department welcomes new Director Mary Ellen McGuire and new Communications Coordinator Chris Zurcher. 

Hunger in the News

Farm Bill Clears Final Hurdle:  A clerical error put the Farm Bill back on President Bush's desk in mid-June.  For the second time in a month, Congress overwhelmingly overrode the president's veto of the $300 billion Bill, which contains strengthened nutrition entitlements that will help food banks better feed people in need for the next five years.

The Next Step:  America's Second Harvest - The Nation's Food Bank Network hosts an electronic letter you can sign and send to your local Congressional Representative to support full funding for anti-hunger programs authorized in the Farm Bill.  Please visit the Hunger Action Center to sign the letter.

Promotions to Fight Hunger

Tyson's Hunger All-Star:  Tyson Foods is looking for Hunger All-Star nominees.  If you know a group or individual that has gone the extra mile in alleviating hunger in the community, you can nominate themonline.  Tyson Foods picks one winner per month and donates 1,000 pounds of food to the winner's hunger relief organization of choice.  Since 2000, Tyson has donated more than 51 million pounds of protein to people in need. 

Country Crock will donate a meal to America's Second Harvest - The Nation's Food Bank Network if you share a "small change" you have made to improve your family's health. Tell your story online and you will help a family in need. 

U.S. Foodservice presents Recipes from the Heart. All net sale proceeds from cookbook purchases will be donated to America's Second Harvest. Learn more and buy a cookbook at Full Plates Full Lives.