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Spring 2008 | |
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The Shoreline Soup Kitchens & Pantries Volunteer Newsletter Spring 2008
A man asked
the Prophet, "What sort of deeds or (what qualities of) Islam are good?" The
Prophet replied, "To feed (the poor) and greet those whom you know and those
whom you do not know."
For National Hunger Awareness Day We will be celebrating Hunger Awareness Day in June by challenging everyone and anyone who would like to better understand our neighbors in need. The challenge is to live on food purchased with the present allotted food stamp amount, which is currently $5 per day, per person. Participants are asked to keep a journal of their experience. Please consider accepting the challenge for a day, week or month! E-mail Patty Dowling at pdowling@shorelinesoupkitchens.org.
New Meal Site is up & Running! In March, 2008 our newest meal site opened their doors for the first time. A warm and very hearty welcome to:
Please help spread the word about our new lunch time meal site on Wednesdays.
Check out our web site. We’ve been working hard to keep it updated and fresh. www.shorelinesoupkitchens.org.
By Carol Grant We had a lady as a client for many months come into our pantry that I knew from church. Each time she came in she would always say how thankful she was that we were there to help her through a rough patch in her life. As things were improving for her, she would always say that she was looking for a way of giving back the kindness and support that she found at our pantry. Well I am happy to tell you that things have turned around for her. She has found the solution to her housing problem, her health has improved, and she is now a volunteer at our soup kitchen. In addition, she spear headed a donation for our troops in our church which was a major success, and has been made a member of our church vestry.
Clinton Pantry New Day and Time! On Wednesday evening June 4th the Clinton Pantry will open their doors for the first time on a Wednesday evening from 6pm to 7pm for grocery distribution. This will provide our working clients with an often requested evening hour pantry, and also offer a nice dinner at the Clinton Meal site at 5pm, then shopping at 6pm at the Clinton Pantry site. Both Clinton sites are close to each other. Saturday May 24, will be the Clinton Pantries last Saturday grocery distribution day.
Tracy Helin I was born and raised in the Springfield, MA area, and lived in Western Massachusetts until 1992. I have lived in Connecticut since then, and currently reside in Middletown with my wife of 12 years, Christy Kovel. My career path started in the world of food service, and I spent over ten years cooking professionally after completing my degree in Culinary Arts in Boston. While working over a hot stove for many years, I spent my free time completing my Bachelor’s Degree at Central Connecticut State University, in New Britain. As soon as my studies were completed at CCSU, I entered the world of non-profit organizations as an anti-poverty advocate. Since 2001, I have worked for the Connecticut Association for Human Services (CAHS), a Hartford-based statewide non-profit organization. I am the Outreach Director, and have had the good fortune of wearing many hats, doing some fundraising work, writing and analyzing policy, and collaborating on some statewide initiatives to reduce poverty. During my time at CAHS, I was able to complete a Master’s in Social Science at Wesleyan University through the Graduate Liberal Studies Program. I joined the Board of Trustees of the Shoreline Soup Kitchens and Pantries in 2006, and serve on the Nominating Committee and bring legislative updates to the Board as the sole member of the ad hoc Legislative Information Committee. I believe strongly in the work we do at the SSKP, and feel that careful attention to legislation is important to help us be more aware of the issues that we all face together. Raised awareness can help us to take a proactive approach to policy changes that our guests may face, so that we may adjust to changed scenarios before they occur. I truly value the opportunity to serve on the Board, and hope to make a lasting contribution during my time here. In my spare time, I enjoy hitting golf balls into the woods, rather than keeping them on the fairways. Why take the easy route to the green? I also like to spend time with my wife, and we travel as often as we can.
Saturday Meal Site Coordinator – Louise Lynch The First Congregational Church of Old Lyme The 1st Congregational Church of Old Lyme has hosted a soup kitchen along with a food pantry every Saturday for about 12 years. Initially we served lunch to about 60 people while they waited to get their groceries between 11:00 and 1:00. However, people kept coming early for their groceries and then not staying for lunch. By three years ago, the food pantry was giving out food at 8:00 in the morning and only a handful of people were coming to the soup kitchen lunch. Beginning to feel no longer of service, one of the cooking teams decided to serve a brunch instead of lunch. We then set to work to have the soup kitchen and food pantry times coordinate. Today, the church opens its doors at 8:00. People come in to register for the food pantry, and then sit to enjoy a brunch served from 9:30 to 10:30. The food pantry begins giving out food at 9:20 and finishes around 11:30. We have twelve cooking teams currently serving around 110 people each week, with the number of guests growing. There is a feeling of welcome and respect among the people serving and the people served. The two Shoreline programs work beautifully together. Louise Lynch
1. An old lady who looks as if she is about to die. Think before you continue reading.
This is a moral/ethical dilemma that was once actually used as part of a
job application. You could pick up the old lady because she is injured and will
die, and thus you should save her first. Or you could take the old friend
because he once saved your life, and this would be the perfect chance to pay him
back. However, you may never be able to find your perfect mate again. Imagine all the people living life in peace. You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. I hope someday you'll join us, and the world will be as one. -John Lennon
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