The Shoreline Soup Kitchens & Pantries

Volunteer Newsletter

Fall 2008 

Kind words can be short

And easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.

                                                       -Mother Teresa                                          

A Perfect Autumn Evening!

            The Volunteer Appreciation Party was wonderful!  It was held at the Saybrook Point Pavilion on the 11^th of September.   The air had a gentle breeze; the moon was three quarters full and was shinning brightly over the incoming tide while a few small boats twinkled their lights as they passed by.   The food was good and the thank you speeches were warm and truly from the heart. There were smiles and laughter both inside the pavilion and outside on the tables. It was a perfect thank you party for all the hard work of our volunteers.

What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Best Wishes

And a

Very Sad Goodbye!

Marge Schofield our Old Saybrook Pantry Manager for the past 4+ years has “retired from the pantry” and moved on to new endeavors.  She brings such a kind and calm and loving view to all she is involved in; we will miss her dearly.  Thank you Marge for all you have done for us, and we all wish you the best on you new adventures.

Welcome!

A very warm welcome to Sarah Noyes, our new Old Saybrook Pantry Manager.  Sarah, along with her very supportive husband Steve have been with the pantry for well over a year as volunteers and have now joined the SSKP staff.  A hearty hale to them!

Baked With Love

Carolyn Costanzo wanted to help.  She likes to bake and came up with a wonderful idea. Last spring, she gathered together some women from her bible study group at The Killingworth Rock Church and they have been sending wonderful home made treats to the clients at the Clinton Pantry ever since.  The women gather once a month and bake up a storm. They wrap the treats into individual packages (example: two cookies in a pack), put on a label that says “Baked with Love”, and deliver them to the pantry for very special and much appreciated treats.  Such a wonderful way to show love!  Thank you so much Rock Church Bakers for such extraordinary gifts!

 

There is a place for everyone, man and woman, old and young, hale and halt; service in a thousand forms is open. There is no room now for the dilettante, the weakling, for the shirker, or the sluggard. From the highest to the humblest tasks, all are of equal honor; all have their part to play.
Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

 

~ Quiz ~ Your Poverty IQ

Sponsored by National Council of Churches

1. The worst drought in the 20^th century killed 250,000 to 5 million people.  How many now face death from drought, and other factors, in Southern Africa?

1. 5 million
2. 10 million
3. 14 million
4. 20 million

2. Average life expectancy in developing        countries, age 64 (in 1999), equaled life expectancy for people in the U.S. in what year?

                   1.  1990

                   2.  1962

                   3.  1941

                   4.  1918

3.  About how many people die each day from hunger or hunger-related causes throughout the world?

                   1.  10,000

                   2.  24,000

                   3.  56,000

                   4.  100,000

4.  What is the official poverty line for a family of 4 (with two children) in the United States in 2001?

                   1.  13,090

                   2.  15,600

                   3.  17,960

                   4.  20,340

5.  Which U.S. state has the highest percentage of people living in poverty?

                   1.  Mississippi

                   2.  Alabama

                   3.  New Mexico

                   4.  West Virginia

6.  Which U.S. state has the lowest percentage of people in poverty?

                   1.  Connecticut

                   2.  Washington

                   3.  Hawaii

                   4.  New Hampshire

7.  Which area of the world is home to the most hungry people?

                   1.  Indian subcontinent

                   2.  Africa

                   3.  East Asia

                   4.  North & South America

8.  Which of these countries has the highest child poverty rate?

                        1.  Hungary

                        2.  United states

                        3.  Poland

                        4.  Italy

            9.  1,700,000 is the number of:

                        1.  Residents of Nebraska

                        2.  AIDS orphans in Uganda

                        3.  Both

                        4.  Neither

10.  The percentage of U.S. poor in female-headed households was 24% in 1959.  In 1999 it was:

                        1.  12%

                        2.  24%

                        3.  45%

                        4.  57%

11. How many people in the world live on less than $1.00 a day?

                        1.  70 million

                        2.  650 million

                        3.  1.2 billion

                        4.  2 billion

12.  Throughout the world, women are more likely to be illiterate than men.  Which country has the lowest female literacy rate?

                        1.  India

                        2.  Nepal

                        3.  Brazil

                        4.  Afghanistan

13.  The richest fifth of the world population consume 45% of all meat and fish.  The poorest fifth consume:

                        1.  1%

                        2.  5%

                        3.  25%

                        4.  45%

14.  Nearly 13% of children in the U.S. are overweight.  By contrast, what % of children in the developing world are underweight?

                        1.  10%

                        2.  13%

                        3.  20%

                        4.  28%

15.  Proposed federal spending for nuclear weapons in 2003 is $16.5 billion.  This could provide health care for how many U.S. kids?

                        1.  1 million

                        2.  5 million

                        3.  7 million

                        4.  10 million

Answers are at the end of this newsletter.

 

Board Member Profile      

Reverend Michael Crane

I came to Connecticut for the first time to serve on the staff of The American Baptist Churches of Connecticut at Minister of Camping Conferences and Youth.  ABCCONN owns and operates Camp Wightman in North Stonington.   My wife, Valerie, and I had just been married and moved to Connecticut from San Francisco where I had been one of the Pastors at First Chinese Baptist Church in Chinatown.  Every day I would see dozens of hungry and homeless people on the streets of that city.  When we would leave church after a church dinner we would always take plates of food with us to distribute to people on the street as we walked to our car.  Since we left San Francisco we understand that the city passed a law that would make that sort of sharing of food illegal under the guise of protecting those being fed from people who would do them ill. 

After seven years at Camp Wightman where one of my major challenges was getting to and maintaining a high quality of food service for our weekend and summer clients since food was a major measure of our hospitality, we moved to Grace Baptist Church in Kansas City, Missouri.  During my four years pastoring that congregation I served on the Board of Directors for Metropolitan Lutheran Ministries which offered a ministry of grocery supplements, clothing closets, utility assistance, homeless shelters and job training for people in need throughout the Kansas City metropolitan area. 

When I returned to Connecticut to serve as Pastor at Niantic Baptist Church in 2003, one of the first things we did together as a congregation was to sponsor a concert by the Local United Network to Combat Hunger (a.k.a. L.U.N.C.H.) to raise money for Care and Share of East Lyme.

The First Baptist Church in Essex invited me to become their Pastor in January of 2006 after allowing me to serve as their interim Pastor for one year.  I was excited to learn that it was this small church that gave birth to the ministry that has become The Shoreline Soup Kitchens and Pantries. 

It is an honor for me to serve on the SSK &P Board, because I believe that the best way we offer hospitality is through providing food.  A traditional Chinese greeting literally translates to something like “have you eaten rice yet?” And Jesus said that when we offer food to the hungry we are offering it as though we were feeding him.  This is the spirit in which the SSK& P offers its hospitality and I am happy to serve such an organization. 

 

Pantry Profile                

Tuesdays 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm 

Manager – Ed Gorman

St. Mark’s Church

222 McVeigh Road

Westbrook      

St.Mark’s Pantry

       What can be said about St. Mark’s Pantry?  In many ways it is like its sister pantries. Food is distributed to those in need once a week on Tuesdays - 1:30 to 2:30 pm.  The number of people in need continues to grow from month to month.  All of the pantries experience sporadic episodes of short food supply.  People come to all of the pantries from an ever increasing geographical area.  Each of the pantries remains focused on our mission to serve all who come to us as long as we can.

       What may be unique about St. Mark’s?  When it opened for the first time some fifteen years ago, no one showed up looking for food.  The next week three families came.  Today, on an average Tuesday between 70 and 80 families come to St. Mark’s.  And it is amazing that the families who come today are greeted by some of the same volunteers who greeted the first three families fifteen years ago.

       St. Mark’s may offer a physical advantage to some elderly or disabled people. The pantry is on the same level as the parking lot.  Food distribution begins at 1:30 pm, but the doors to the waiting area are open at 12:30.  There are plenty of folding chairs for everyone and the church hall is air conditioned in the summer and heated in the winter.  There is easy access to rest rooms on the same level. 

       St.Mark’s volunteers are its greatest asset.  Our volunteers are, as individuals and as a group dedicated to helping those who come to us in any way they can.  Conversation and humor are important parts of each Tuesday afternoon.  A sense of fellowship goes out along with the food. Hopefully someday soon the need for pantries will no longer exist, but till then our doors are open and we welcome those who need.

 

Campers Help

Campers from Camp Laurelwood in Madison spent a week this summer preparing full meals and passing them out to the clients at one of our pantries.  They provided family sized salads (complete with bread & salad dressing choices), choices of trays of lasagne, macaroni & cheese and baked ziti.  They even gave everyone bottles of water and bags of cookies.  Thank you so much Camp Laurelwood for providing the financial and leadership support for such a very special gift!

 

Food For Thought

“Food for Thought” Is a column where volunteers can share their views on hunger and poverty.  The following article is from the Connecticut Food Bank’s Newsletter for the month of September...

       We recently asked Bill Thurston of Thurston Foods, Inc. (the food distributor we use for SSNAP and other food orders) his opinion of the coming year’s prices and this was his response:  “New pack on fruits and vegetables is well under way and the picture for next year is starting to appear.  It’s not a good sight.  I have been in this business since 1972 and have never seen the type of price increases in food that we are currently experiencing.  Prices of so many food commodities have jumped to historic levels.  Couple that with the unimaginable increases in fuel and tin plating and you are well on your way to understanding the problem.  There is a tin plate shortage world wide due to very strong demand for steel in China, and PET and other plastic packaging is made from petroleum.  Unfortunately there is no relief in sight on either food costs or packaging or transportation costs.

       As far as your particular situation is concerned, rice has almost doubled. The canned meats, which have been priced roughly the same for the last ten years, will increase approximately 20-25%. Tuna is up $5.00-$6.00/ a case and all vegetables and beans will increase sharply.  All other products will probably increase 10-20%.  Chicken is your biggest item in dollar terms and should increase the least. It’s not good news but it’s an honest estimate of what will probably happen.”

       In looking at their website, the USDA is forecasting a 4-6% increase on most items, particularly on meats, produce and grains.  This is the largest increase in almost 20 years.  This means, more people will be seeking assistance from your programs, many of whom have probably never asked for assistance before.  Be prepared by either shopping at the warehouse weekly (if you aren’t already), distributing more often (if possible), having more food drives, or giving more food so a person won’t have to return quickly.  On our end, we are working hard to bring in more so that you have something to give.  It’s not going to be an easy year for anyone and we need to continue to work together to get food to those who need it.

 

Pantry News

The pantries are providing clients this fall with information on free educational programs available in our area. The offerings range from getting a GED, to learning to read and/or speak English, to learning a skill that will help with employment.  This year the pantries will also be providing a more frequent concentration on bringing outreach people into the pantries that can sign clients up for food stamps and the Community Health Center.

 

~ The Stranger ~   

A Christian story – Author unknown

They were singing hymns and praying in that little country town

All thankful for the end of drought as the rain come tumbling down.

The little church was nearly full at the corner of the lane

When a stranger softly slipped inside to shelter from the rain.

 

He was small and he was shivering and each boot had sprung a leak

With sore feet and empty wallet he’d been tramping for a week.

They took up a collection for the homeless and the poor

But no one met the stranger who sat just inside the door.

 

He was small and he was shivering, he was hungry, he was thin

Caught out in the downpour he was soaked right to the skin.

Some of them gave generously and some of them gave more

But that didn’t help the stranger dripping water on the floor.

 

They’d donated mounds of clothing, whatever they could spare

But no one asked the stranger if he had a coat to wear.

They were singing hymns and praying and their faith was wide and deep

But no one asked the stranger if he had a place to sleep.

 

They were singing hymns and smiling and their faith was very real

But no one asked the stranger when last he’d had a meal.

When they reached the benediction, the heavens paused the rain

And the lonely traveler prepared to face the road again.

 

The faithful clustered in the porch, their friends to meet and greet

But no one asked the stranger if he’d like a bite to eat.

The wind was whistling shrill and cold and the sky was leaden grey

The preacher shook the stranger’s hand, but then was called away.

 

Not a word to the stranger did anybody say

They never learned the sorrows that had turned his steps their way.

They served refreshments in the hall and the mood was light and free

But no one asked the stranger if he’d like a cup of tea.

 

Not a word to the stranger did anybody speak

They’d never know the burdens that are carried by the weak.

When Jesus shall return to earth, will all the trumpets blare?

Or will He be a stranger, thin and worn from want of care?

 

They were singing hymns and praying in the little country town

All thankful for the end of the drought as the rain kept pouring down.

They were singing hymns and praying, the women and the men

But they hardly saw the stranger, for he wasn’t one of them.

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Answers to Quiz ~ Your Poverty IQ

1. 3
2. 3
3. 2
4. 3
5. 1
6. 4
7. 1
8. 2
9. 3
10. 4
11. 3
12. 2
13. 2
14. 4
15. 3

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People were given two ears and one tongue so that they may listen more than speak.
                                    - Jewish folk saying

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