Sadly I have the duty to report that the local Spanish Speaking Center of New Britain is making what is possibly its last food distribution, this Christmas Eve Day, due the state’s expiration of the annual contract it had with the center
Ms. Mary Sanders, pictured above with her crew of volunteers, stated that out of the $100,000 annual funding provided by the state, $20,000 was portioned out to the city’s collaborative group of pantries as a helping hand from her center to helping additional needy poor throughout the city. She continued by stating that this may be the last distribution of food, due to the expiration of the contract with the state’s Department of Social Services. Mr. Karl Messerschmidt, Mary’s assistant with the handling the food distribution, offers the only alternatives left to the center besides contract renewal with the state would be holding a fund raiser of some kind.
While I personally was there for my interviews with Mary and her crew members the word of need reached local businesses with their sending donations of food in order to help with the center’s needs to help the poor.
As an outsider looking in I cannot commend the center’s efforts enough with its helping the collaborative pantry centers by sharing $20,000 of its annual food budget, allocated by the state, in order to help the additional poor people in need in our city. It is hard to imagine a more fitting story of sharing for the Christmas season.
Our local state representatives are aware of this disastrous ending of the center’s ability to continue on with their furnishing our city’s poor with the needed food supplies and are fervently working in resolving a solution in obtaining state funds for the center to be able to continue on furnishing our poor with the much needed food.
Every time I have the privilege of sitting down to enjoy a meal, I will personally be haunted with the many eager desperate faces I saw looking to fill their empty carts, with the much needed food for their family members.
The center has been supplying food for an estimated 1,500 persons, each month but this time, they were rationing its distribution in order to be able to have enough for all.
Sincerely,
Frank Smith Says NB
15 comments:
New Britain - Christmas Eve - 12/24/08.
The CT State Bond Commission expressed its support for feeding hungry families in New Britain by approving a $150.000 Bond for a new centralized food pantry to be located at The Salvation Army, 78 Franklin Square in downtown New Britain CT.
But the operating budget for the Spanish Speaking Center, one of the primary organizations the state has been using to distribute food in the city at the same time had it’s budget cut - in order to fund and construct the new centralized food pantry (with refrigeration capacities) for more frozen meals and perishable foods by converting the Salvation Army Garage into a brand up to date New Food Pantry.
Mayor Timothy Stewart said the city is establishing the new centralized food pantry with refrigeration and will be tracking in 2009 all the needy folks who need and receive services from new Salvation Army Food Pantry
New Britain Food Locations as list in Sunday Edition of Hartford Courant.
12/24/09 Christmas Eve: Locations of 10 Food Pantries in New Britain CT, Food Trucks, and Free Meals in New Britain, CT.
SPANISH SPEAKING CENTER
29 Cedar St. Food Pantry, 1st, 3rd, and 5th Wednesday and every Friday. 1 PM - 4 PM
29 Cedar St.
Food Pantry, 1st, 3rd, and 5th Wednesday and every Friday.
1 PM - 4 PM
SALVATION ARMY
78 Franklin Sq. Food Pantry Tues and Thurs 9 AM - 3 PM Closed from 12 PM - 1 PM
78 Franklin Square
Food Pantry Tues and Thurs
9 AM - 3 PM
Closed from 12 PM - 1 PM
ST. ANNE’S SCHOOL
North St. between Lawlor and Clark Food Pantry Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri 9 AM - 12 PM
North St. between Lawlor and Clark
Food Pantry
Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri
9 AM - 12 PM
ST. MARK’S
147 West Main St. Food Pantry Mon. and Thurs. 9 AM - 2 PM
147 West Main St.
Food Pantry
Mon. and Thurs.
9 AM - 2 PM
ST. MARY’S
544 Main St. Food Pantry Mon. and Thurs. 9 AM - 12 PM
544 Main St.
Food PantryMon. and Thurs.
9 AM - 12 PM
"HOUSE of GRACE" at Iglesia del Buen Samaritano
36 North St. Large scale food pantry Every 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month 1 PM - 4 PM Administered by Spanish Speaking Center
36 North St.
Large scale food pantry
Every 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month
1 PM - 4 PM
Administered by Spanish Speaking Center
NEW BEGININGS
84 Spring St. Food Pantry First 25 customers, Friday 11 AM - 1 PM By appointment Mon, Tues, Wed.
84 Spring St.
Food Pantry
First 25 customers, Friday 11 AM - 1 PM
By appointment Mon, Tues, Wed.
MOUNT OLIVE CHURCH
216 Tremont St. Food Pantry
216 Tremont St.
Food Pantry
REPARING the BREACHES
323 West Main St. Food Pantry Every other Monday 4 PM - 6 PM
323 West Main St.
Food Pantry
Every other Monday
4 PM - 6 PM
TABERNACLE BAPTIST CHURCH
25 South St. Food Pantry
25 South St.
Food Pantry
FRIENDSHIP CENTER
241 Arch St. Hot Lunch Mon-Fri 12 Noon
241 Arch St.
Hot Lunch
Mon-Fri
12 Noon
FOOD NOT BOMBS
Free Food for the Revolution. Central Park Sunday 3 PM - 4 PM
Free Food for the Revolution.
Central Park
Sunday
3 PM - 4 PM
ST. JAMES BAPTIST CHURCH
15 Wilcox St. Hot lunch and food pantry. Thursday 12 PM - 1 PM
15 Wilcox St.
Hotlunch and food pantry.
Thursday 12 PM - 1 PM
ISAIAH 58
New Brite Plaza across from St. Anne's Food truck with hot lunch. Saturday except 1st Saturday of the month. 3 PM - 4 PM
New Brite Plaza across from St. Anne's
Food truck with hot lunch.
Saturday except 1st Saturday of the month.
3 PM - 4 PM
HERALD SQUARE
Foodshare Truck Every Other Tuesday 12 PM - 12:45 PM
Foodshare Truck
Every Other Tuesday
12 PM - 12:45 PM
ST. ANNE’S PARKING LOT
Foodshare Truck Every Other Wednesday 1 PM - 1:45 PM
Foodshare Truck
Every Other Wednesday
1 PM - 1:45 PM
MALIKOWSKI CIRCLE
Foodshare Truck Every Other Wednesday 9:30 AM - 10:15 AM
Food Share Truck
Every Other Wednesday
9:30 AM - 10:15 AM
CORBIN HEIGHTS
Food share Truck 40 Patton Dr. Every Other Friday 11 AM - 11:45 AM
Foodshare Truck
40 Patton Dr.
Every Other Friday
11 AM - 11:45 AM
111 JEROME DRIVE
Foodshare Truck Every 4 Fridays 1 PM - 1:45 PM
In answer to anonymous’ comment regarding the state bond commission approving a sum of $150,000 for a centralized food pantry addition located at the Salvation Army on South Main Street.
Much publicity followed that announcement with the Common Council of the city agreeing that another location was needed in the north end of the city so they allocated a sum of $25,000 to turn the Osgood Ave. Pool House into a food pantry. This was done by the council members when they recognized it would be a tremendous hardship for the poor to travel by foot to the Salvation Army location in order to get their food supply.
The $25,000 dollar sum I quoted above is from memory and may be an approximate figure.
With all that going on no one on the council showed any concern of providing funds for the purchasing of food for the poor’s current food requirements.
The new Salvation Army Pantry in 2009 will also be be a Food Distribution Center for the Ten Food Pantries located in New Britain CT.
Didn't I read that this funding would be restored if Trueworthy and Cantazaro would just resign from the council and thus eliminating the conflicts of interest posed by their serving on the council?
Subject: The Saga of Court Hearings on Municipal Code of Ethics....?
The Government Elections and Administration Committee took a step forward toward eradicating political corruption at the municipal level when it approved a bill that would force all Cities and Towns (like New Britain)to adopt a code of ethics by 2007.
The substitute bill calls for municipalities to establish procedures to investigate allegations of misconduct by its public officials, public employees, and paid consultants.
The state has yet to pass its own contract reform package. The General Assembly has passed legislation toward that end three times, but Governor M. Jodi Rell vetoed all three attempts. State Rep. Christopher Caruso, [D-Bridgeport], said that municipalities, like the state, routinely award multi-million dollar contracts and in most towns there is no process for the public to address the behavior of public officials.
Two Glastonbury residents, Karen Emerick and Dana Evans, know what Rep. Caruso means all too well. They were in Hartford Superior Court filing writs of mandamus to enforce their legal rights. Since 2003, Emerick and Evans have been asking the Glastonbury Ethics Commission to specify how the public may initiate complaints alleging a violation of code, or how the public might request access to the commission's advisory opinions.
They say they have yet to receive an answer, though Karen Emerick says she was told on one occasion, in letter from the ethics commission chairperson, that the commission would not accept complaints directly from the public. Evans said she had wanted information on a code that would allow public officials to represent a developer and others doing business in the town, but was told advisory opinions are not for the public. If it becomes law, the substitute bill approved by the committee today will change that.
After filing and winning numerous state Freedom of Information Commission complaints and non-compliance actions against the Glastonbury Ethics Commission, Emerick and Evans said they felt they had exhausted all other avenues.
After filing the writ, Emerick said there should be a regional ethics commission, so that people on the commission do not hear cases from residents in their own town. She said she would support a statewide ethics code that doesn’t require public officials to disclose the contents of their bank accounts, but they would have to disclose all financial interests in property and list the names of their limited liability companies and private employers.
The substitute House bill that the committee approved prohibits public officials and public employees from representing private interests against the interests of their employer municipality, and closes the loophole in the revolving door policy so public officials can't take jobs with private companies that do business with the town.
Before it can become law, the bill still must be approved by the House, the Senate, and Governor Rell. Susan G. Kniep, former East Hartford mayor and President of The Federation of Connecticut Taxpayers Organization (FCTO) said that every time a public official writes a local ethics code for a town so that in the future he may, as an elected or former official, do business with the town - then the taxpayer again loses his/her shirt.
Without strong ethics laws on a local level, common sense tells you that local elected officials cannot and will not police their own, said Susan Kniep, President FCTO.
Ebeneezer Scrooge said...
Today Trueworthy and Catzanaro are sitting down to stuff their faces with Christmas goose while due to their blatant conflicts of interest, the federal funding was withheld by HUD for programs meant to feed the poor.
The saddest part of the story is that the over sized egos of these two individuals are such that in their minds it makes them "real men" to have so much good food to eat while directly being the cause of others starving.
Bah humbug.
December 25, 2008 12:23 PM
Post a Comment
Why isn't the state legislature doing something to fund the food for the poor temporarily to keep this program running through the holidays?
From what I am reading, $20,000 would keep the program going for quite a while. The way the State of Connecticut throws money around, that is like loose change. It is about time they threw a few coins to New Britain.
I agree with Karl Messerschmidt, about holding fundraisers to raise money for the Spanish Center food pantry. Pancake breakfasts and spaghetti dinners are very popular fundraisers. The Senior Center on Pearl Street is a very popular place to hold such functions. People receiving food donations, along with their family members, could volunteer to serve and cook.
The new Salvation Army Food Pantry with updated refrigeration will be up and running in 2009. What is the anticipated date that this facility will be operational? With
the operating budget cut at the Spanish Speaking Center and threat of that location closing what is the interim plan for those who were receiving help at the Spanish
Speaking Center? Across town at the Osgood school location, when will that be ready to receive food
for distribution? It is winter time now and many poor are recently laid off just for the fact
of seasonal employment and getting food assistance in the winter is harder and presents a greater need.
1500 people coming in every month to the SSC is alot of people to help. Alot of help from the public comes in between Thanksgiving and Christmas with collections going on in schools and
businesses but once the "giving season" has ended it most go back
to forgetting about helping out.
To Scrooge, I believe the HUD funds that were not restored due to our locals and their ethics conflicts were directed to eviction
assistance and foreclosure not food. Still, these guys refuse to
do the right thing and step-down.
One more time, Attn: Phil Sherwood! What are the car taxes owed to the city of New Britain?Any other council member can feel free to answer the question at this
point since Phil can't seem to
get to the bottom of it. How about
Lou or Mark? Do you two know how much the city is due in back car taxes?
Apparently Phil Sherwood lacks the authority to get the answer. He just doesn't have the political clout.
I wonder how much food each member of the Common Council donated to the Salvation Army and the Spanish Speaking Center during the year...independant of what the Council approved?
At least half of the Council Members are a bit overweight, if not obese, indicating they have enough food at home to donate at least a can or two of veggies, soup, stew, etc. and a box or two of cereal.
Cantazaro could certainly afford to skip a few meals!
With the extensive expansion of the HRA building on Clinton Street over the past several months, is there any reason that site cannot be used as a food bank?
Post a Comment