Agency Connection DECEMBER 2013 Holiday Food Center Closings! The Gemma E. Moran United Way/Labor Tommy Toy Month! Food Center will be closed November statistics are due December 23, 2013 – January 1, 2014 December 15 The Food Center will re-open to shoppers on Monday, January 6. Update: 2013 Thanksgiving Basket Turkey Program UPCOMING EVENTS The response for turkey donations to the Food Center during the Thanksgiving season New Shopper’s Class: proved to be a great success! Our community responded with much passion and enthusi- asm, donating more than 1,400 turkeys and fixings for families in need! In partnership with • December 5th and more than 34 participating agencies we were able to distribute 2,369 Thanksgiving birds and fixings. This year, in fact, marks the highest turkey distribution in years. If your agency January 2nd would be interested in learning about how to qualify or participate in our Thanksgiving • Time: 1-2:00 p.m. Basket Program, feel free to email us at [email protected]. Please RSVP to Food Topic of the Month: The Dating Game [email protected] Harvard Law School Food Law and Policy Clinic along with (NRDC) National Resources Defense Council recently released the article, “How Confusing Food Like us on Facebook: Date Labels Lead to Food Waste America” that exam- facebook.com/unitedwaysect ines current regulations and policies on food labeling in America. The article states that “The lack of formal Follow us on twitter: definitions or standardization across dates labeling policies and practices is a problem because it gives @UnitedWaySECT unreliable signals to consumers.” This inconsistency results in consumers who cannot rely on the dates on food to consistently have the same meaning, which leads to higher food Please check out our feeding wastes. Instead of offering the type of clear and unambiguous information that consumers site resource link at: seek, date labels can and do mislead them. If you would like to learn more information on food labeling findings, feel free to visit the report website at http://www.nrdc.org/food/ uwsect.org/food-center files/dating-game-report.pdf. The Gemma E. Moran United Way/ Mobile Food Pantry Distribution Sites and Times Labor Food Center Groton (Groton Social Services): Second Wednesday 10am-12pm– December 11th 374 Broad Street New London (Thames River Apartments): Second Thursday 4 pm - 5pm (only for December– December 12th) New London, CT 06320 Baltic (18 West Main St. Baltic): Second Friday 2 pm - 3 pm – December 13th 860.444.8050 Jewett City (St. Mary’s School Parking Lot): Third Wednesday 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm December 18th www.uwsect.org/food-center Norwich Free Academy: Third Thursday 5 pm - 6 pm –December 19th Groton (St. John’s Church/Branford Manor): Third Friday 10 am -11am – December 20th (only for December) TOPIC OF THE MONTH: How can 50 million people face hunger in a county that wastes billions of pounds of food? There is more than enough food in America to feed every man, woman and child, yet here in New London County, more than 31,000 people need help putting food on the table. As individuals, charities, businesses and government, we all have a role to play in getting more food to people in need. Together, we can make solving hunger a priority for our nation’s leaders. Let’s LIVE UNITED!!! Agency Connection Youth Taking Action Against Hunger! This month we would like to highlight our local youth for being active advocates against hunger! We have received more than 3,500 pounds of food, more than $1,000 in monetary donations, and more than 150 volunteer hours just during the months of October and November. Students from local elementary, middle and high schools, local college students, and Boy Scout groups have helped make a difference in the lives of many food insecure families of New London County by organizing food drives, raising money, or volunteering at our Food Center to help prepare for mobile food pantry distributions, helping to fill Thanksgiving basket orders and more! With 1 in 6 children facing hunger everyday in our County, these proactive youth make a difference in providing meals to kids and their families that are challenged by food insecurity. Volunteer Hour Countdown to 5,000 hours...hours so far = 4,120! Helps us achieve our 5,000 volunteer hour goal. Need volunteers at your site? Let us know how many volunteers you’ll need and the times and dates needed and we can direct these wonderful volunteers to you! Food Center Volunteer Hours: 751 for the month of November Mobile Food Pantry Volunteer Hours: 214 for the month of November Hours Needed to Reach 5,000: 880 Registration for the Tommy Toy Fund is coordinated by The Bulletin. All families must be pre-registered to obtain The Gemma E. Moran United gifts on the first day of distribution and the first half of the second day. Distribution is set up in three locations Way/Labor Food Center (New London, Norwich, and Danielson) on December 18 and 19. Clients who are NOT registered can ONLY obtain 374 Broad Street toys after Noon on Thursday, December 19. Proof of eligi- New London, CT 06320 bility required with photo ID. Further information can be found on The Bulletin website with application instructions 860.444.8050 and eligibility requirements: http://www.scribd.com/ doc/188052979/2013-Tommy-Toy-Fund-Registration. Visit us online at uwsect.org/food-center.