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Need Office Space?Gifts of Love has office space for rent at its 34 East Main Street location. Ideal for counselors, therapists, and accountants. Call Diana Goode at 860-676-2323 for details.
Celebrating 25 Years of Neighbors Helping Neighbors
Thank you to all who attended our annual Fire and Ice Gala and helped us celebrate 25 years of Gifts of Love in our community.
Over 165 people attended the event and helped us raise almost $60,000 for our much needed programs.
Attending the event at the Avon Country Cub were Jeffrey and Nancy Hoffman, and John and Cynthia Crouch
Scott Gray former WTIC radio sportscaster was our Master of Ceremonies for the evening
The auction raised money for programs like our Weekend Food Backpack Program and Food and Furniture Truck!
Celebrating 25 Years of Volunteer Service
One of the highlights of the Gala was honoring Mim Shepard for her 25 years of volunteer work at Gifts of
Love.
Mim Shepard and Denise Phillips, Program Manager
All of our volunteers bring different skills and personalities to Gifts of Love and do a variety of jobs, from working with clients to sorting out clothes, household and food as well as administrative jobs - and for all of those volunteers we truly appreciate all that you do.
Mim Shepard has been with Gifts of Love from the beginning. Her skill set came in handy in 2004 when the building burned to the ground and she spent many hours with staff sifting through the rubble to find anything that had survived. Although she is the driving force for our organization, she is the first to admit that it is all a team effort. Mim is living proof that age is not a barrier to volunteering, She works tirelessly to help our community and our agency and we are so happy she is part of our family.
Mim Shepard is honored at the 25th Gala
Fall Educational Programs
Thanks to a state grant, for the second year, Gifts of Love has been able to partner with The Auer Farm in Bloomfield to run a 4th Grade Interdistrict Educational Program.
The program starts in the spring with 45-minute introductory lessons in each classroom, focusing on where food comes from and what helps plants grow. A follow-up lesson takes place in which students plant organic seeds in the classroom and learn the steps necessary to cultivate the seedlings. The program concludes with a field trip to the farm where students transplant their seedlings into the gardens where food is grown for Gifts of Love and other local social service agencies.
Students from Hartford and Simsbury join each other at the Farm for their field trip visits and work together to plant their seedlings. The curriculum incorporates the importance of community service while educating students about sound nutritional choices, a healthy lifestyle and the issue of hunger in our community.
For more information about Gifts of Love & Community Farm of Simsbury, visit www.giftsoflovect.org.
OUR MISSION:
Gifts of Love and Community Farm of Simsbury recently merged to build the capacity of people by creating positive change in their lives, improve food security and lessen the impact of financial crisis for people in need.
We accomplish this by producing and distributing food, offering farm-based and life-skill educational programming, and providing critical, sustaining tangible supports to those in need.
Thank you for your support as we bring Farm to Family.
Helping Neighbors
