A MESSAGE FROM DAILY BREAD: PUTNAM, CT, November 2014: The American Farm Bureau Federation puts the average cost of a Thanksgiving Day feast for 10 people at about $49.41 – just up from last year. Dairy products, pumpkin pie mix and those sweet sweet potatoes, at around $3.56 for three pounds, can really lighten local wallets. But for many in the community, buying a decadent holiday meal is simply out of the question. $50 is a gas tank full of fuel. A week’s worth of groceries as opposed to one family meal. Gifts for a cheery holiday that’s less than one month away. From candy corn to cornucopias, the holiday season is moving right along. To answer the great need in Putnam, and in northeastern Connecticut, community leaders, business owners and dozens of volunteers, including local youth groups like the Putnam Leos, step up to make a long-lasting difference. Food drives, collections, dress-down days, fundraisers and other activities, are hard to keep track of as the Quiet Corner races to ensure that every family has a Thanksgiving meal to be proud of. The season gets off to a good start in September when NECT reaches out to SQUASH Hunger during Hunger Action Month. This year Interfaith Human Services of Putnam – Daily Bread is especially grateful to the Citizens National Bank. CNB held a month long food/funding drive in September, in all branches. In addition, employees of the bank had the opportunity to participate in multiple dress-down days during the month in exchange for the donation of non-perishable food items. The Citizens National Bank also made a significant financial contribution to IHSP – Daily Bread. US Button and Stop and Shop were great Hunger Action Month supporters, as well. As part of the program, more than 2,000 non-perishable items were donated to the food pantry, not to mention more than 600 cans/jars of spaghetti sauce from local churches who took part in “Spaghetti Sauce Sunday” drives that month. Other local drives and fundraisers took place in October, including one on Oct. 1 – a charity cocktail party at the Mansion at Bald Hill that raised more than $1,600 for the food pantry. In November, though, local minds and hearts really turn toward the Thanksgiving table. The annual “Fill the Tote When You Vote” Election Day Food Drive initiative for Daily Bread, TEEG and the Pomfret Food Pantry was very successful. This year, with 58.14% of Conn. residents visiting the polls on November 4, Interfaith Human Services of Putnam – Daily Bread was grateful to receive food valued at $2,108.96 and $380 from one polling site in Putnam plus cash and food donations from other Putnam voting locations, as well. On Nov. 8, at the Cargill Council Hall on Providence Street, members of Putnam’s Boy Scout Troop 21 and Knights of Columbus Cargill Council 64, collected food, personal care items and monetary donations for IHSP. Almost $2,000 in food, plus $91.61 was collected. According to a press release, “All of this added to the effort just a few days before, when Troop 21 hauled a donation of breakfast cereal to Putnam, from Weetabix North America’s facility in Clinton, Mass.” Peter A. Lombardo, Troop 21’s Scoutmaster and one of Council 64’s Past Grand Knights, said, “Worldwide, the Knights of Columbus have a ‘Food for Families’ campaign that Cargill Council has been part of since we started the council’s annual food collection in 2009…Our Scouts are here because it gets them outside themselves, into their community, to see that there are people here who don’t have what they have. The Boy Scouts of America has its nationwide ‘Scouting for Food’ program. This gives our Scouts the chance to help.” On Sunday, Nov. 16 the East Putnam Fire Department, with Central Physical Therapy, Inc., held a canned food drive for Daily Bread, collecting nearly $1,000 in food, along with $215.00 in cash donations. The giving just continues – the Quiet Corner’s heart is so big! On Nov. 19, in a now annual show of generosity, Gerald Messier Jr., a flow worker at US Button Corporation in Putnam, presented Ann Kathi Peterson, Interfaith Human Services of Putnam’s Secretary and Community Resource/Volunteer Coordinator, with a check from US Button employees for $2,000. Peterson, overwhelmed by the generosity and commitment of the employees of the local manufacturing corporation, said, “I am always astounded, and never know what to say, with the graciousness and caring that comes from businesses and their employees, like this contribution from all of you. It means more than words can express. US Button and their employees have been so supportive of IHSP and our Daily Bread program and for that I am extremely grateful. Thank you all for the very special gift and for everything that was done for TUNA TUESDAY [another collection event]. And THANK YOU for your ongoing support.” A surprise donation made its way to WINY Radio on Nov. 21. Putnam Fire Chief Bob Campbell donated funds raised from the department’s annual softball game, offering his thanks to the East Putnam Fire Department and Putnam EMS. Just before Distribution Day, Monday, November 24, when nearly 400 families in the area were provided with a turkey and all the fixings, multiple drives took place to make sure that each and every meal would be complete. Once again, as they have in recent years, Putnam Chiropractic Center, located at 245 School Street, hosted ‘TURKEY DAY’ in an effort to help support local families. Current, active patients who brought a turkey to the center – to be donated to Daily Bread – received a free visit! Dr. Frederick A. Barks, Dorothy Barks, and the Green Valley Blackhawks/Ladyhawks, were joined by many on Nov. 22, collecting, according to a release, “32 turkeys and lots of ‘fixin’s’, which were donated to Daily Bread. They also send along their gratitude to everyone who helped to make this possible.” Local businesses are not the only source of community support in our area. Law enforcement also joins in to ensure that those in need enjoy a good holiday meal. State, Putnam and Plainfield Police teamed up once again to HANDCUFF Hunger on November 22 and 23. Collected non-perishable food items – and TURKEYS! – were shared among local food pantries in Canterbury, Chaplin, Danielson, Moosup, Pomfret, Putnam, and Thompson. This annual event is extremely successful. This year, according to Putnam Deputy Chief Leonel Konicki, a total of 220 turkeys were donated in Putnam, along with approximately $1,340. State Police Trooper Tim Stearns advised that Saturday, for all locations, saw donations of approximately 525 turkeys and $4,600 cash. IHSP – Daily Bread received a significant number of those turkeys for distribution, along with $910.34. So many turkeys were purchased for friends and neighbors in need that Price Chopper Manager Hope Myers had to seek inventory at other area Price Chopper stores. Putnam officers volunteer their time to ask shoppers to help their neighbors in need – and there is no shortage of officers looking to lend a hand. According to Konicki, Saturday was manned by Officer Michael Termini, Sergeant Justin Lussier, himself, Detective Bart Ramos and Detective Donna Brown. Family and friends were also present. On Sunday were Chief Ricky Hayes, Konicki, Lussier, Sergeant Louis Cinque, Brown and several family members and friends. On Sunday, Detective Brown said that she enjoys participating in the Handcuff Hunger event, particularly because officers often see the negative side. “This is really good,” she said. “This restores our faith in people...their willingness to give. IHSP’s Peterson said she was exceptionally grateful to the state and local police department for their willingness to do the annual collection the weekend before holiday basket distribution. “We would never be able to provide without their help,” she said. “We were in a state of panic,” Peterson said, before learning that Handcuff Hunger would definitely take place. “Then we knew that we would have carrots and potatoes and turkeys.” Local friends and neighbors also provided Daily Bread with turkeys, as did Foxwoods Resort Casino, Linemaster Switch Corporation and other great area businesses. There was a great food drive at the Quinebaug Valley Middle School Music Festival. Putnam Plastics Corporation in Dayville, raised more than $850 in cash donations and collected almost $120 in food. Thanksgiving Meal Distribution could not be accomplished with the help of committed and dedication volunteers. Among them are Bill and Kathleen Kelly Zamagni who have, for 11 years, coordinated distribution. Joining them are local church volunteers, and Daily Bread ‘staff’ who are, as always, unpaid. We would be lost without the quick work of the Putnam Leo Club youth who prepare the Living Faith United Methodist Church Hall for Distribution Day, sorting and weighing fruits and vegetables, organizing thousands of boxes and getting 400 meals ready for pick up. “In two hours, it’s unbelievable what they accomplish,” said Bill Zamagni. “What hardworking, smart, dedicated kids.” After distribution was complete, David Dunham, IHSP – Daily Bread treasurer agreed that this year’s giving ran very smoothly, “I thought we had the most volunteers ever; seemed like we were very well staffed.” Congregational Church Christian Education Director and Daily Bread volunteer Terri Pearsall said, “I was personally touched by the generosity and support of our community. The outpouring of donations was overwhelming. Similar to 2013, Daily Bread was able to provide almost 400 Thanksgiving Day meals on Monday, Nov. 25 – giving more than 1,200 local people enough to eat, a good, wholesome meal, on Thanksgiving Day. The easiest way to contact IHSP is to give them a call: (860) 928-0169, or find us on Facebook: facebook/PutnamDailyBread
Posted on: Wed, 26 Nov 2014 12:34:16 +0000