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January 28, 2010

The Fairfield Community Center Food Shelf ~ A Critical Piece of a Larger Plan


Do you know...

  • About our Tuesday Community Lunches?
  • That we now offer To-Go Meals for seniors, busy moms and dads, or anyone needing a healthy meal in a hurry?
  • That KIDS IN THE KITCHEN! cooking classes start next week?
  • Every 2nd Friday of each month is Commodity Delivery Day?
  • We're now offering Meals-on-Wheels to housebound Bakersfield residents?
  • About upcoming community dinners and dances?
  • That the Food Shelf's now open on the 3rd Saturday of each month?

What's going on here? Plenty, that's what! The core of volunteers at The Fairfield Community Center are all a bunch of foodies. They can't keep their fingers out of the pie dough, or their hearts from wanting to feed the world good, healthy food.


It started 20 years ago when a group of volunteers formed The Fairfield Community Center Association, a non-profit organization dedicated to meeting the needs of the community. Over the years, the Center has provided social, educational, cultural and essential services to Fairfield and surrounding towns, and it shows no signs of slowing down. With expanded hours at the Food Shelf, a lively Senior Meals Program, plans for a busy Summer Camp for kids, expansion of the Community Garden and Grow-a-Row Project, Kids In The Kitchen! cooking classes starting January 28th, and more good ideas in the planning stages, it looks like The Fairfield Community Center will be an inspiration to us all.


Over the past year, attendance at the Food Shelf has nearly doubled ~ serving over 375 households in the towns of Fairfield, East Fairfield, Bakersfield, Sheldon and Fairfax with occasional visitors from Montgomery, Berkshire and Enosburg.


"We're fortunate to have support and volunteer help from many sources," says Center director Nancy Shaw. "We have rock-solid support from our area churches, from a number of businesses with ties to East Fairfield, and food donations coming in from individuals all the time. I come in to work and often find a bag of something at the door - coffee, or soup, or cocoa mix or baby food. It's so important for us all to remember that hunger in Vermont is very real, and more widespread than most of us can imagine. It's fantastic that so many people are doing something about it."


We joined the Vermont Foodbank in 1998. With a 2009 mini-grant from the Vermont Foodbank, the Center purchased a new freezer and stove for its kitchen. "Because of this (grant), last summer we were able to process excess vegetables grown in the Center's Community Garden. Farmers and growers also donated produce that we put by for the winter. We were able to offer chard, squash, berries, broccoli and beans to Food Shelf clients and serve them at our senior community lunches almost up until Christmas time. There's huge potential here," adds Shaw. "Right now the Center is in the process of a metamorphosis, and local, organic food and the  promotion of healthy lifestyles seem to be a central theme in the future of our organization."


The Fairfield Community Center's team of staff and volunteers include:


Angela Boardman, newly hired chef, NECI graduate, mom of two home-schooled kids and a wonderful cook, gardener, and environmentalist.


Nance Shaw, the Center's new part time director, long time cook, gardener, bread baker, artist, kitchen manager and organizer of lots of fun stuff for kids and adults.


Jessica Gaudette - organic farmer, pickle-maker, owner of Black Creek Preserves, liason with the local agricultural sector, and coordinator of the Food Shelf orders, deliveries and distribution.


Rachel Huff - organic grower, teacher in the migrant education program, grant co-coordinator of the Farm-to-School program in Franklin County, volunteered at last summer's camp program and instrumental in the Community Garden design and development project.


Michele Bessett - former owner of Jeff's Seafood in St. Albans, current owner of As the Crow Flies kitchen store, an astute businesswoman, a great cook, organizer, and consultant at the Center.


Joanna Jerose - mother of two, community visionary, program coordinator, organic gardener, grant-writer, and the major force behind the success of such programs as the 2009 Summer Camp, the Eat-Dinner-With-Your-Family event, and the annual Community Dinner and Contra Dance (see upcoming events, below).


Martha Burns - artist, photographer, para-educator, mom, fabulous cook, volunteer extraordinaire, Martha also keeps track of our donations, paying bills, and writing thank-you notes.


Faith Cassidy - long time board member, mother of many, steady volunteer and instructor in our Kids' In The Kitchen! cooking series.


Elsa Berenberg - the FCC's board Chair, low-income advocate, spiritual-seeker, steady helpmate, mediator, and friend.


Rachel Tanner - reliable, long time volunteer at the Food Shelf, the back up gal for whenever someone can't make their shift, and for numerous fund-raising events.


And many others, without whose help, we'd not be where we are today, or realize what we want to become, in the years ahead. Thank you all.


UPCOMING EVENTS AT THE FAIRFIELD COMMUNITY CENTER

Food Shelf Open every Monday, 3-5 pm, every 2nd Friday 10-Noon, and every 3rd Saturday, 10-Noon.


Tuesday Community Lunches at Noon. $3 suggested donation to anyone lucky enough to be over 60; everyone else $5. (still a great deal!) Also on Tuesday, MEALS TO GO - individually packaged single-serving meals for seniors, busy moms and dads, or anyone needing a quick healthy meal in a hurry. $5. (same suggested $3. donation for seniors.)


January 28th-March 4 - KIDS IN THE KITCHEN! cooking classes for school-aged kids. Tasty and fun recipes to inspire healthy eating habits. (Sorry, classes are full for this session!)


February 6th - Annual Dinner & Contra Dance to Benefit the Food Shelf. 5:30 - 9, Fairfield Center School, rte. 36 in Fairfield. Mark Sustic and the Fiddleheads. Great food, fun evening. Bring a non-perishable item to donate to the Food Shelf.  $10/person, $18/couple, $25/family, $8/seniors.


March 6th - the Sap Run Benefit: Tyrone Shaw and the Oleo Romeos, crispy-fried Rock, R&B, and Honky-Tonk. Dinner, music and dancing, 6:00-11:00.

At the Center, 120 School Street, East Fairfield. Don't miss this: Live music AND dinner for only $10/person. For more information call the Center at 827-3130.