Walkin', pickin', singin' and givin' thanks!

Among Friends

News for friends and supporters of the
Friendship Service Center of New Britain

August 2011 - Vol. 3, No. 5

Caring for our neighbors in need

In This Issue

Quick Links

Oh, what a Walk it was!

Ellen Perkins Simpson's granddaughter Maya Roberts (left) and her teacher Melissa Perez from Vance Village Academy in New Britain congratulate each other on a "way cool" Walk Against Hunger. Photo by Greg McCloud

Many thanks to 69 walkers on 15 walk teams who helped us to over-step our fundraising goal by raising a total of $21,158 in Foodshare of Greater Hartford's 28th Annual Walk Against Hunger. Of that total, 80% will directly help the Friendship Center to feed our hungry neighbors. The other 20% will support Foodshare and End Hunger Connecticut's regional efforts to end hunger. Foodshare reports that a grand total of $538,000 was raised by the whole community through this year's Walk.

Our teams, in order of their fundraising success, include:

Friendship Center of New Britain Archangels

South Congregational Church, New Britain

Okay Industries Stampers Against Hunger, New Britain

West Hartford Methodist Church

Oxford Polymers Piranhas, New Britain

First Congregational Church, New Britain

First Church Unionville

Individual walkers (unaffiliated with a team)

Eaglets

Team Bristol

First Church of Christ Congregational, Farmington

Muslims Against Hunger

Hye Walkers from the

Armenian Church of the Holy Resurrection, New Britain

Vance Village Academy, New Britain

Connecticut Legal Services, New Britain

Team Lambright , New Britain

Seven of our teams raised more than $1,000, with the Friendship Center's Archangels leading with a heavenly high of $6,675! South Congregational Church in New Britain raised the bar for congregations again with a whopping $3,250. Special thanks to First Church of Christ Congregational in New Britain for donating proceeds from their 2nd Annual Sneaker Sunday; to the Friends of the Friendship Center, who kicked-off their "Hunger is for the Birds!" project with a $1,000 gift to the Walk; to first-year team Oxford Polymers Piranhas; and to Enterprise Builders for their generous support.

Congratulations to all of our walkers, teams, congregations, businesses, schools and supporters whose generosity will help the Friendship Center to feed people in need all through the year.

Mark your calendars NOW for the 1st Sunday in May 2012, and we'll see you again next year for an all-new Walk! Details to come...

Fresh pickings right off the farm

Kitchen Director Gerry Waldo (left) is a familiar presence this summer at Urban Oaks Organic Farm in New Britain, thanks to a membership in the farm's Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. A co-op membership entitles participants to share in the harvest each week, bringing fresh-from-the-field produce to the Friendship Center's Community Kitchen.
     "Our relationship with Urban Oaks Farm is more than a membership," says Waldo. "It is a partnership."
      This past week, fresh aromatic garlic, just-picked leafy green lettuce and native peaches were in ample supply. The fresh foods gathered each week for the Community Kitchen are either prepped and cooked immediately, or blanched and frozen for future use.
     The membership at Urban Oaks is part of the agency's "Eat Fresh" program, made possible by generous grants from TD Charitable Foundation and the Community Chest of New Britain and Berlin.

Sing praises!

The Friendship Service Center is honored to be selected to benefit from a portion of the proceeds generated by the first annual "Gospel in the Park," on Sunday, August 28, 2011, beginning at 4:00 p.m., at the Walnut Hill Park Band Shell in New Britain. Choirs, soloists, quartets and litergical dancers from various denominations and congregations are invited to participate.

The event is being organized by James B. Dorsey and produced by JBD Productions. The event is free of charge, but a free-will donation will be appreciated. Sponsorships and opportunities to participate in this afternoon of fellowship, thanksgiving and praise are still available.

For more information, contact James Dorsey at 203-850-9211.

We get by with help from our friends

Many thanks to the following foundations for recent grant support to the Friendship Service Center:

The Community Chest of Greater New Britain and Berlin

Funding for the Emergency Shelter and Community Kitchen

The Marjorie Moore Charitable Foundation

Funding for the Emergency Shelter and Community Kitchen

The William and Ellen E. Macristy Foundation

Unrestricted funding

Friendship Service Center of New Britain, Inc.
P.O. Box 1896, New Britain, CT 06050-1896
Phone 860-225-0211 Fax 860-832-8903 info@friendshipservicecenter.org