FROM DAILY BREAD IN PUTNAM: Interfaith Human Services of Putnam (IHSP) – Daily Bread continues to serve northeastern Connecticut this summer, working with volunteers and local service organizations to provide summer meals, Snack Packs, fresh fruits and vegetables, SNAP application assistance, diapers, and much more to those in need. According to a recent press release, The Daily Bread Food Pantry served 65 people aged 60 and older during the month of June. 237 children under the age of 18 were served and 438 of our friends and neighbors between the ages of 18 and 59 received assistance. The volunteers at Daily Bread work together to ensure that clients are provided with a variety of food offerings, including fresh fruits and vegetables whenever possible. An on-site community garden currently features cabbage, Swiss chard, yellow green beans, tomatoes, eggplant and peppers. Anyone can try container gardening – these veggies work well, or try others, like mini sweet peppers! Daily Bread would like to thank Chase Road Growers for donating all of our plants and the Technology Education Students at Tourtellotte Memorial High School for our raised beds! Are you growing fresh fruits and/or veggies in your backyard or at your local farm? Too many tomatoes? Just cant eat another strawberry-rhubarb pie? Extra eggs, maybe? Early blueberries? Bring them to Daily Bread and help us provide our clients with fresh and healthy local fare! Clients can also pick up fresh fruits and vegetables at many of our local farmers markets. The Putnam Saturday Farmers Market accepts many forms of payment – you can even use your Electronic Benefits (EBT)/SNAP card. (Visit the market, or their website: putnamfarmersmarket.org, for more details.) For individuals not receiving SNAP, unsure if they qualify or just looking for assistance with the sometimes daunting application process, IHSP is offering SNAP Outreach Assistance, sponsored by End Hunger Connecticut! and Connecticut Food Bank. Make an appointment to meet with a SNAP Advocate by calling 860-928-0169. Advocates will assist with the SNAP application process. Appointments will take place at the Living Faith United Methodist Church, located at 51 Grove Street, on Tuesday mornings only, between the hours of 9:30am and noon. Assistance will be provided by appointment only. Please note that IHSP - Daily Bread is not a full-time organization. A volunteer will return your call, so please leave a message. Additionally, advocates are aware of the need for evening appointments. Arrangements are currently being made to accommodate the needs of our community. The Summer Meal Program continues and will be available for families through August 15. Breakfast and lunch will be served every week day, at the following locations: Putnam Elementary School, 33 Wicker Street, Putnam High School, 152 Woodstock Avenue, the Putnam Public Library, 225 Kennedy Drive and the Putnam Housing Authority, 123 Laconia Avenue. Once again, as a result of the publics generous donations to Interfaith Human Services of Putnam, along with funding from End Hunger Connecticut! and the USDA, healthy meals will be offered, free of charge, to local children and their parents/guardians - who are encouraged to join them at the family table. To assist our local families during the often challenging summer months, IHSP - Daily Bread provides more than 700 Snack Packs to the youth in our community. Working moms and dads often depend on school meals to help their kids get through the day. While summer is a fun and wonderful time for our children, it can be difficult for parents, guardians, friends and family to make sure everyone has enough to eat. Parents can pick up food twice a month during the summertime, and when they do, one Snack Pack per child is also provided. On July 22, volunteers packed more than 525 of them, leaving Daily Bread more than ready for the next few weeks! Each bag contains a juice box, chocolate milk, two fruit cups, a granola bar, animal crackers, microwavable mac & cheese, Ramen, peanut butter crackers, cereal, pudding and raisins. Cold items, like yogurt, are added at pickup. Coming up, IHSP and the Diaper Bank of NECT are working on making the public aware of the need for diapers in our community. A few facts from The Diaper Bank: “Safety-net programs such as the Food Stamp Program and WIC (Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children) do not cover the cost of diapers. An adequate supply of diapers can cost over $100 per month. The vast majority of licensed day care centers do not accept cloth diapers, and require parents and caregivers to provide a steady supply of disposable diapers…Low-income parents cannot take advantage of free or subsidized childcare if they cannot afford to leave disposable diapers at childcare centers. If parents cannot access daycare, then they are less able to attend work or school on a consistent basis.” The Diaper Bank of NECT distributed more than 100,000 diapers last year. Diaper Needs Awareness Week is September 7 – September 13. Learn more about IHSP – Daily Bread at: facebook/PutnamDailyBread
Posted on: Mon, 28 Jul 2014 09:21:16 +0000
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