The Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen
www.downtowneveningsoupkitchen.com
Thanks and Recognition
New Haven Federation of Teachers
During the evening meal on Tuesday, October 23, the president of the New Haven Federation of Teachers, Dave Cicarella, presented DESK with a check for $1,000! The New Haven Federation of Teachers is one of the many groups coming to the aid of DESK in our time of need. Thank you to all those teachers!
Our Supportive Community
Thank you to the many who heard our appeal in October on WTNH. Folks immediately began sending us donations and organizing food drives. DESK would like to thank every individual and organization that responded to our request for help and support.
October Financial Donations
Among those groups which made especially generous donations during October are:
Ladies’ Home Missionary Society
Connemara Fund
Archdiocese of Hartford
DESK also received numerous private donations from individuals who believe in DESK’s mission and want to help DESK continue its service.
October Food Drives
Jet Cleaners (State St, New Haven) continues its ongoing food drive to benefit DESK. Thanks, Mike, for all you do for DESK!
DESK would like to say a big thanks to the North Branford High School football team, whose members have been collecting food items for DESK throughout their season. In addition, they donate the extra food from their weekly football dinners. Thanks especially to Cindy McCarroll, who organized this group’s support of DESK.
Other groups have started food drives in October that will continue into November:
Foote School
Turner Construction
St Raphael’s Admitting Department
Yale Art Gallery
Schick Milford
Scott’s Ridge Middle School
Silat Federation
Delta Phi Epsilon
Chelsea Company
Yale Science Graduate Students
Center Church
United Church
First and Summerfield Church
Yale’s Pierson College
Bahai Faith Church
Church of the Redeemer
New Groups Helping in October
October saw a number of new groups join the ranks of those who make DESK’s operations a success. They included:
CT Rollergirls
Human Relations Club Hamden High School
Italian Honor Society Cross High School
North Branford School (third grade)
Psychology Club of Qunnipiac and Yale
HCC Youth Group
Dinning Hall Thanksgiving Decorations
This year, Country Farms (1038 Middletown Ave, Northford) donated a colorful variety of pumpkins, gourds, and Indian corn to decorate the DESK dinning hall for Thanksgiving. Thanks to the Diglio family, our guests will enjoy a bit of holiday cheer each night during the evening meals. Thank you also to Cindy McCarroll, who solicited this donation for DESK.
CT Zombiefest
The CT Zombiefest, sponsored by the New Haven Advocate and Magic Hat Brewing Company, which took place on Saturday, October 20, was a great success. “Zombies” from all over Connecticut—even some from neighboring states—donated over 1,000 pounds of food items to DESK. Thank you to Jeff Glagowski, a Zombiefest organizer, for all his help collecting supplies for DESK. Also, we would like to say a big thanks to Yale Recycling for loaning four large blue receptacles, which DESK used to collect and store the food.
New Toilets
Plumber Frank from Rapid Plumbing Service, Inc. (West Haven) helped secure a toilet donation from Robert Warren, owner of Quality Plumbing Supplies (Davernport Ave). Thanks to Robert’s generous donation, Frank was able to install two new toilets in the women’s bathroom at the DESK dinning hall facility (311 Temple St) last week. Having moved our Monday through Thursday operations to the 311 Temple St facility, DESK was in great need of this new equipment. Thank you so very much, Robert!
One Big Pumpkin!
DESK received a portion of a huge pumpkin, weighing over 350 pounds, this past Halloween season from Matt Luce (Valley Green, Inc., Norwalk). The pumpkin was so large that it took a pick up truck to deliver it! Chef Jeanne May used it in a variety of meals over the past week. It truly was the “great pumpkin”!
Quick Notes
A Message from the Executive Director
The DESK Annual Letter Appeal for 2007 will be arriving soon in your mail. Please take time to read the message to all New Haven citizens and DESK supporters. DESK is not a religious organization, educational institution, city, state or federal agency; we are a nonprofit 501 (c) 3 organization. We receive our funding solely from individuals and organizations who believe in what we do and support our mission to feed the hungry. Consequently, without financial support from so many private sources, we would have to close our operations.
As Thanksgiving nears, please remember the less fortunate and give to DESK. For over 20 years, DESK has served the community on a daily basis with three paid staff and hundreds of volunteers, and it is your donation that can keep this organization running. Please if you have not given this year, please do so to help us feed the hungry!
—Diana M. Richter, Ph.D.
A Message from the Chef and Director of Operations
Our recent food needs are listed on website. We are still appealing to all our supporters for pantry donations and support for our Thanksgiving operations. As we prepare food during the week of Thanksgiving, we require milk, half and half, butter (at least 20 pounds!), and mayonnaise.
We will issue a complete thank you list in our December newsletter, which will include all donations, food drives, and new volunteer groups.
—Jeanne May
New Board Member
Congratulations to DESK’s new board member, Bettina A. Pierre. Bettina has been volunteering at DESK on Wednesday and Thursday evenings since 2005. She presently is employed by Helen Keller International, and she is the program coordinator of ChildSight® Connecticut. We welcome Bettina to the DESK Board and thank her for her continued commitment to our organization.
Information
Food Donations
Drop off donations at 311 Temple Street between 1:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday, or call the kitchen (203-772-3400). Please remember that all of DESK’s offices and operations are closed on Fridays and Saturdays. We cannot accept deliveries on those days without previous arrangements!
Volunteer Opportunities
Contact Jeanne (JeanneMarieMay@aol.com), and she’ll find something for you to do anytime from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Sunday through Thursday. Remember: DESK accepts all community service volunteers, and youth groups are also welcome!
Removal from E-Newsletter List
To be removed from the E-Newsletter mailing list, please email webmaster@downtowneveningsoupkitchen.com.
Emergency Food Council
The Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen is a member of the Emergency Food Council of Connecticut. Visit our website at www.emergencyfoodcouncil.com.
Contact DESK
Diana M. Richter
Executive Director
P.O. Box 1478
New Haven, CT 06506
Phone: 203-624-6426
Fax: 203-624-2116
director@downtowneveningsoupkitchen.com