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Nature’s first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf’s a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.
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The pantry's most dedicated volunteer, Sarah Swan, passed away on Saturday, June 3, just hours after helping out as usual at Friday's distribution. We were so fortunate to have Sarah be a part of the Daily Bread family for so long. But nothing gold can stay. | | |
If there's one thing we can be sure about, Sarah would not want any of us to be slacking off just because she isn't around to "direct" anymore. The show must go on. And so it did, when our friend and neighbor, Savings Bank of Danbury, shot a commercial at the pantry. The ad will feature all the great work they do in the community. |
The bank got a great location for their shoot - and we got some extra help to unload Wednesday's deliveries. Everybody wins! | | | |
We get around 75% of the food we distribute from our main Food Bank partner, Connecticut Foodshare - the vast majority of it completely free of charge. Not only that, they have some great folks who always go the extra mile for Daily Bread whenever we ask. Earlier this month, Connecticut Foodshare held a "Celebration of Partnership" just across the road from their impressive warehouse and office facility in Wallingford. It was a great opportunity to network with other pantries, scarf some free food, and hear from luminaries in the food insecurity world - including the CEO of Feeding America, Claire Babineaux-Fontenot - who has a personality to match her rather fabulous name. |
Miranda Muro, Senior Director of Network Relations, shows us where the magic happens. |
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...And Speaking Of Connecticut Foodshare | Thanks in large part to a grant from Connecticut Foodshare, we are now the proud owners of our very own vehicle. And this is not just ANY vehicle. It is a brand spanking new Ford E-Transit - an electric version of the venerable Transit workhorse. Fully loaded with every conceivable option, it is a dream to drive and holds an unbelievable amount of stuff. If only we had four or five more of them, we could maybe think about giving Mark Silverman, Jay Moody, Ken Fantel and all the other volunteers who regularly donate the use of their personal vehicles a much-needed break. Don't hold your breath guys. |  |
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Connecticut Foodshare didn't provide ALL of the funds needed to purchase the van. A very significant contribution was also made by great friends of the pantry, the October Hill Foundation. Thank you!
Now, all we need is a name for it/him/her (the thing hasn't indicated a pronoun preference as yet). The leading contender so far is "Evan,", suggested by Past President Debbie Landzberg (who also designed the tasteful lettering). There's still time to throw other ideas into the ring though - just stay away from "Vany McVanface" please.
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One of our regular "senior shoppers", Kate Olsen, was so inspired by the wonderful organic pears we've been getting recently from Patagonia that she captured one on paper. And then the following week repeated the exercise with one of the great fresh apples we were distributing. Both pictures are now proudly on display in the pantry. | | |
The 2023 T-Shirts Are Here! |
If you ordered a t-shirt in response to the email I sent around a month or so ago and have not yet picked it up, it is waiting for you at the pantry, probably. If you didn't order one, there are still a few extras available - but not in all sizes/colors/styles. Once we've gotten most of them handed out, we'll hold an official "wear your t-shirt to work day" for a photo op in front of the pantry. Don't miss this opportunity to show your Daily Bread pride - make sure you are signed up to Textedly, our volunteer and guest messaging platform. Just text the word "TEAM" to 844-664-1114 to receive the very latest volunteer-related news and information. |
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It seems quite a while since we've touched on the subject of dumpster trampolining. But the work of breaking down and then compressing hundreds of cardboard boxes every week is a vital job - and such a visible activity that only the most presentable volunteers can be allowed to partake. Here the ever-stylish Michael Ward adds a little panache to the operation by sporting a dapper hat. | |  |
Patti Bisbano, the Daily Bread HR Department would like a word. | | |
Not only did Savings Bank of Danbury give many of our volunteers a shot at movie stardom recently, but on the same day they presented us with an award recognizing our service to the community and, well, quite a lot of money. Here Martin Morgado, CEO of the bank, presents us with the goods. | | |
When you are called Daily Bread you really can't have too much bread. So it was a good day when Chabaso Bakery dropped off a pallet of delicious artisan baguettes. Special thanks to Andres for delivering with a smile! | | |
In just over a month, the van has covered well over 1,000 miles going hither and thither to pick up food and other items from all over. It's also been a popular backdrop for donation pictures, and even been featured in a recent story in the News-Times. Way to go, Vany McVanFace (not its real name). | |
Executives Michele Bonvicini and Jason Ginsberg from Union Savings Bank paid a "surprise" visit to the pantry recently to present us with a BIG check, literally and figuratively. | |
Long-standing supporter of the pantry Dr. Blaine Langberg held a food drive that yielded a ton of food. And he topped it off with a great cash donation too! | | | | |
