United Way of Eastern Fairfield County Supports Work to End Hunger

On September 11, United Way of Eastern Fairfield County presented a check for $10,000 to the Council of Churches to support the work of the Hunger Outreach Network. United Way matched the first $10,000 raised by Feed the Children during an August 28 radio-thon with $20,000 in contributions. For every dollar pledged during the St. Vincent's/WICC Feed the Children Radio-thon, United Way donated $1 to Feed the Children and $1 to the Hunger Outreach Network, a group of 37 food providers in the area.

The Supporting a Caring Community Committee came together quickly to provide funding for this critical need. Committee members (listed below) convened the needed resources to get United Way funding approved and presented to the Hunger Outreach Network for their work in helping those in need.

"The Hunger Outreach Network provides on-the-ground services for those in need in our area," stated Merle Berke-Schlessel, President and CEO of United Way. "While the radio-thon addressed the current critical need for food, the Hunger Outreach Network is providing support services to families and individuals to help alleviate the conditions that are causing them to not have food."

Providing food to those in need does not end their hunger. In most cases, the conditions causing individuals and families to have no food stem from larger issues that, if not addressed and changed, will continue to challenge them. The Hunger Outreach Network is working to end hunger by looking at and addressing the root causes of hunger. The next step in their work will be the convening of a Hunger Summit on November 8. Food and Human Service providers will come together to discuss the availability of services and gaps in what is needed to support this effort. The results of this Summit will then launch a community-wide campaign of strategies that will address underlying issues, supplement current services and begin to track the demands placed on these services and their ability to effect change.

Heartfelt thanks go to the Supporting a Caring Community Committee for funding the critical needs for food at local providers last month:

Al Barber, Council of Churches
Anne McCrory, Southern CT Gas Company
Betty Hill
Byron Crosdale, Council of Churches
Frances Freer, Department of Social Services
Frances Stratton, retired
Iris Molina, City of Bridgeport Social Services
James Benson, Merit Insurance
Jean Fereira, town of Trumbull
Kimberly Ford, City of Bridgeport Housing Authority
Leo Hansen, retired
Mark Barnhart, Town of Fairfield
Sarah McGraw, New England Research Institute
Susan Beauregard, GE
Teresa Giegengack, Town of Westport Human Services
Tom Castelot, Soundview Media
Vilma Thompson, retired