Today Magazine • October 2023

CARDINAL VIRTUE SOLO

A female northern cardinal perches in a Canton backyard — cardinals don’t migrate, so they’re still breathtakingly conspicuous in winter’s snowy settings, per Cornell University’s AllAboutBirds.org website — and as songbirds they may sing alone or with each other

DUCK VICE SQUAD

Ducks navigate Cherry Brook in Canton at the Barbourtown Bridge — mallards occur throughout North America and are sometimes hunted for human consumption — migrating mallards have been estimated to fy 55 miles per hour, per AllAboutBirds.org

Photos by Wendy Rosenberg

CONTENTS

4 — Banking On Kindness

Food banks and pantries in the Farmington Valley have combined for 225-plus years of caring for their neighbors in a life-sustaining way

9 — Home Is Where The Heart Is

The Avon Food Pantry began six decades ago — based in the basement of an Avon home

14 — Food Bank Q&A

Valley leaders weigh in with some insightful perspectives in a series of quick-hitting interviews

18 — Relational Refreshment

As the Canton Food Bank turns 40, volunteers seek to forge relationships while dispensing food

Poor • Hungry • Driven

This month marks the 5th anniversary of the debut Today Publishing magazine — yes, Canton Today Magazine launched in October 2018. Now Today Magazine covers the entire Farmington Valley.

• Highlights include 40 Society of Professional Journalist awards — to my knowledge, second to only one other state magazine: 50-year-old Connecticut Magazine. I sometimes wrestle with whether to mention these awards because it’s surely uncool and uncouth to toot one’s own horn.

• Yet it’s natural to want to share good news, comparable to the excitement of kindergarten show-and-tell — and if you’re unsure what I’ve decided about sharing award news in this essay, please check your pulse.

• During my editorial tenure at ESPN Digital Media, a title-winning coach voiced his PhD desire: Whatever his team achieved, he wanted his players to remain poor, hungry and driven — a ftting sentiment given this success reminiscence and the food-bank cover story in this edition … BWD

Today Magazine • Covering the Heart of the Farmington Valley

Bruce William Deckert — Publisher + Editor-in-Chief

860-988-1910 • Bruce.Deckert@TodayPublishing.net

www.TodayPublishing.net > Digital Editions • Award-Winning

Today Online • 24/7 news — www.TodayPublishing.net/blog

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“ We don’t have to look very far to see how food insecurity undermines basic social structures ”

— Bob Bessel • Canton First Selectman

BY THE NUMBERS

10% — food-insecure Americans

LETTERS

COVER STORY KUDOS

newsroom@TodayPublishing.net

Our September cover story features Hartford Youth Scholars, a nonproft that aims to give city students access to the best education possible — CLICK HERE for our coverage

THANKS to both you and Matt Broderick for your hard work to get the Hartford Youth Scholars story published and circulated. We have shared the story in our newsletter and on our social media platforms. We have also shared the story directly with the Scholars interviewed and we are all flled with pride.

—Anthony Byers

•

HYS executive director

THANK YOU for running the nice article about my music school. I also enjoyed the article about a couple of other Avon old-timers and old friends!

—Paul Howard

•

West Simsbury

THANKS for the articles about Clavier Music. I liked them very much. I worked with the late George Sullivan a lot over the years — he was a sweet man.

—Michael Blanchard • Quail Ministries

LETTERS POLICY

•

Unionville

Letters to the editor are welcome. Ideal maximum length: 100 words — with occasional exceptions. We reserve the right to edit for style and space considerations.

Provide your full name, hometown, email address and phone number — the phone and email won’t be published, unless you request this for promotional purposes.

The publisher is a political independent, and that is the editorial stance of the magazine. Letters are welcome from across the political spectrum as long as they are civil and tasteful.

Editorial Associate — Kayla Tyson

Contributing Photographer — Wendy Rosenberg

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Farmington • Avon • Canton • Simsbury • Granby – CT • USA

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GIVING THANKS FOR BANKS

Food Banks Observe Milestone Anniversaries

By Bruce Deckert Today Magazine • Editor-in-Chief

HUNGER IS a continual human conundrum and a common human experience.

Surely, everyone on the planet knows and feels hunger on an ongoing basis — can we agree about the accuracy of this afrmation?

Whether or not complete agreement is possible, synonyms for the verb hunger illustrate what appears to be a universal association between hunger

and humans: crave, desire, need, want, yearn for.

In terms of hunger as a noun, here is Merriam-Webster’s threefold defnition:

• a craving or urgent need for food or a specifc nutrient

• an uneasy sensation occasioned by the lack of food

• a weakened condition brought about by prolonged lack of food • This kind of hunger, it’s safe to say, is the reason food banks and food pantries exist.

Two food-support operations in the Farmington Valley are celebrating milestone anniversaries this year — the 60th for the Avon Food Pantry and the 40th for the Canton Food Bank.

Food banks and pantries that serve the other three Valley towns were likewise established decades ago. The Farmington Food Pantry dates back about 35 years, the Simsbury

COVER — Volunteer Karen Brand at the Canton Food Bank

Volunteer Christy Pidgeon stocks a canned-goods shelf at the Canton Food Bank

NOTEWORTHY NONPROFITS

VALLEY INTEL

Food Pantry 40-plus years, and the Granby Food Bank 50-plus years.

If you’re keeping score at home, the math is straightforward: For more than two collective centuries — a combined 225-plus years — residents of the fve Valley towns have systematically cared for their neighbors in this pragmatic and life-sustaining way.

September was Hunger Action Month. Feeding America launched this initiative in September 2008, and the conclusion of the 15th annual commemoration of this nationwide hunger-awareness campaign ofers a ftting time to take stock of hunger issues here in the Valley.

The Farmington Valley is known for strong school systems, rural splendor and general afuence — yet

For more than two collective centuries

some Valley residents quietly face food insecurity, living precariously paycheck to paycheck.

While the meaning of the term hunger is vital when it comes to understanding human history and behavior, food security and food insecurity are two more key terms with important defnitions.

In the social-service realm, food insecurity is defned as insufcient access to enough healthy food — conversely, food security is defned as stable access to healthy food.

Merriam-Webster’s defnitions concur, while expanding the meaning to include an economic component:

• food insecurity — being unable to consistently access or aford adequate food

• food security — being able to consistently access or aford adequate food •

Feeding America is a national network of food banks, food pantries and meal programs. Statistics from the nonproft’s website elucidate the scope of the food security challenge nationwide:

• 34 million people in America endure food insecurity — over 10% of the U.S. population of 331 million recorded by the 2020 census

• 9 million children in America experience food insecurity

• 49 million people turned to food programs in 2022

• 100% of U.S. counties have residents who sufer food insecurity

• Feeding America supports an average of over 40 million people annually •

Feeding America was originally established in 1979 as a national food-bank network called Second Harvest that later changed its name to America’s Second Harvest. In 2008, the organization rebranded as Feeding America.

Over 380,000 people in Connecticut struggle with hunger via food insecurity, representing 10.5% of the state’s population of 3.6 million. Feeding America features an

Fresh zucchini at the Canton Food Bank

annual Map the Meal Gap study that identifes hungerrelated numbers in all 50 states by county. The fve core Valley towns in Today Magazine’s coverage area — Avon, Canton, Farmington, Granby and Simsbury — are in Hartford County, where 10.7% of the population faces food insecurity.

Meanwhile, the fnancial impact of COVID continues to be felt today. The onslaught of the pandemic in 2020, and the subsequent closure of numerous businesses, led to record layofs and unemployment. As a result, more Valley families turned to social service agencies and food banks as an economic stopgap, and these food-support programs continue to fulfll an essential role.

Those struggling fnancially can also apply for SNAP benefts — the state’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, once known as food stamps — through the Connecticut Department of Social Services.

Here in the Constitution State, Connecticut Foodshare is a member of the Feeding America network. The nonproft is connected to food-support programs across the state, providing sustenance for eligible residents.

In Valley towns, municipal social service departments accept applications and verify eligibility, typically based on standard barometers such as income and household size. Once registered and approved, residents are qualified to shop at no cost at the food bank or pantry in their respective town.

In every Valley town except Granby, food pantries and food banks are located in churches — for details, see the

Locally grown onions in Canton

sidebar article with key nuts-and-bolts info. The Granby Food Bank is located in the Granby ofce of the Farmington Valley Visiting Nurse Association.

Based in Wallingford and founded in 1982, Connecticut Foodshare has satellite distribution centers in Bridgeport and Bloomfeld, a next-door neighbor of Avon and Simsbury, and helps supply food banks and pantries statewide.

However, local social service ofcials indicate that the lion’s share of food at Farmington Valley food banks and pantries is donated by those right here in the Valley — area businesses, churches and other organizations, along with individuals and families who care about their neighbors in need.

History tells us that some of the most well-known quotes about hunger were uttered in the frst century by an unconventional Jewish rabbi.

Indeed, the biographers of Jesus of Nazareth note several references to hunger in the numerous comments

that are attributed to this trailblazing teacher — here is one: “I was hungry and you gave me food.”

You may recall the context: When people help neighbors in need and those who seem to be least important, in a profound and puzzling and

astounding quote attributed to Jesus of Nazareth? And what is your perspective on the value of food banks in the Valley and beyond?

Further — what connection do you see in the answers to the previous two questions?

It appears there is more than an inkling that our responses to these queries — and our day-to-day decisions about caring for our neighbors — will have an extraordinary impact not only on our community today but also on our ultimate destiny. +

Today editor-in-chief

practical way they are also helping someone who, it’s safe to say, has claimed to be the most important person in human history — at least, so said this unconventional and trailblazing frst-century human who claimed to be far more than a mere human being.

What is your take on this

Bruce Deckert is a multiple award-winning journalist — and he believes all people merit awards daily when they utilize their God-given storytelling gifts

The bread table at the Avon Food Pantry

Home Sweet Home: Food Pantry Began in Avon Residence

By Bruce Deckert Today Magazine • Editor-in-Chief

WHEN CONTEMPLATING the history of the Avon Food Pantry, there’s no place like home.

James and Barbara Martino established the food pantry in 1963, the year they moved to Avon, in what might be considered an unconventional location — their home.

Yet since home is where the heart is, and a heart to help neighbors in need is at the core of such an enterprise, perhaps there is no more appropriate place to start a food pantry.

“My wife started it,” says James (aka Jim) Martino Jr. “She wanted to help the less fortunate in our community, so we started the food pantry. We ran it out of our basement for many years until we got space in Avon Town Hall in the late 1970s, before we transitioned over to Saint Ann’s church.”

Today, the food pantry is still located at the Church of Saint Ann, a

Roman Catholic parish at the corner of Arch Road and West Avon Road. The volunteer-run pantry is open on Tuesdays from 9:30-11:30 a.m. and serves about 45 households per week, according to Martino.

Town residents who request support need to register with the Avon Social Services Department to validate fnancial need.

VALLEY INTEL

FAMILY AND MARRIAGE IN THE VALLEY

clerk was Caroline LaMonica. When people needed a helping hand they went to the town clerk, and we went to her when we started the food pantry. She and I worked together for almost 50 years.”

They worked as colleagues because Martino was also a town employee — he served as Avon’s police chief for 18 years, retiring in 2001.

“We relaxed these rules during the COVID pandemic,” says Martino, “but they are back in place now.”

When the food pantry began six decades ago, Avon didn’t have a formal social services ofce.

“Before Avon had a social services department, the town clerk was social services,” Martino explains. “Our town

He began his career with the Avon Police Department in 1961, serving four decades overall. He sees a strong connection between his police work and the food pantry.

“It was just a natural ft between the police department, community and social services,” he says, noting that the main motivation has always been “to help those who need additional support as a way to give back and support our community.”

continued on next page

— Jim Martino • Food Pantry Director

Nonperishable food graces well-stocked shelves at the Avon Food Pantry

After LaMonica retired in 2006, her daughter Ann (LaMonica) Dearstyne became the town clerk. Ann’s husband, Ron Dearstyne, was an Avon police ofcer.

“When he left us, he went to the state’s attorney ofce and was a prosecutor for a number of years,” says Martino.

At some juncture after the Avon Social Services Department was formed, Jim and Barbara were required

to receive formal certifcation: “Both of us had to go to school to run the pantry,” Jim says. “There’s a diploma hanging in the basement of the church.”

The January 2019 edition of the Town of Avon Newsletter includes this note: “Our sponsors and donors are incredibly important, but without the tireless, generous and fercely dedicated eforts of Jim and Barbara Martino, the Avon Food Pantry, and its programs, would not exist. The Town is

deeply grateful to the Martino family!”

Barbara Martino died on Sept. 11, 2021 at 85 years of age. Earlier that year, she and Jim celebrated their 60th anniversary.

Their sons James Martino III and Harold Martino and his wife Elizabeth are Avon residents.

When Barbara’s health declined in 2019, Jim stepped aside from his weekly involvement as food pantry director because “my wife required my

attention and I needed to focus on her care.”

He appreciates the food pantry’s volunteers who took the baton at that time: “They all stepped up when my wife became ill — I’d like to give a lot of credit to them. The food pantry wouldn’t exist without them.”

It takes a village to raise a child — so says the time-honored proverb. Likewise, nurturing and supporting a food pantry is a total team efort undertaken by a network of oftenunsung volunteers. Avon’s core volunteer group is comprised of Mary Lou Connors, Jim Spieck, and Gary and Judy Balich. Sometimes more people pitch in on Tuesdays, and others are committed in other ways.

For example: Lou and Fran Witkowski, who own Smith Farm in Avon, visit local supermarkets several times each week to pick up surplus bread, produce and meat — and then deliver the food to homeless shelters, soup kitchens and food banks in Greater Hartford, including the Avon Food Pantry.

After Barbara’s passing Jim Martino

resumed his involvement at the food pantry, and he is still the director in title, but Connors is the de facto manager.

“She currently runs and organizes all events related to the food pantry,” says Martino, who has lived in Avon for 60 years. “The food pantry would not be what it is today without the help of our volunteers.”

Judy and Gary Balich moved from Hartford to Avon in 1983 and became parishioners at Saint Ann the same year. Judy started volunteering at the food pantry in 2019 soon after she retired from the Selective Insurance Group.

Asked what motivated her to get involved, she replies, “Jim was my motivation — he was looking for help at the food pantry — and Mary Lou too. I knew them both from church. They asked, and I said absolutely, I’d be happy to help.”

Gary began volunteering in 2020 after COVID hit. He was semi-retired at the time, working part-time as a driver for Canton-based Martel Transportation. Before that, he had

The Avon Food Pantry ofers a plentiful assortment

managed his own business, Balich Design Services, a consulting frm that focused on commercial interior space. When the COVID shutdown put his driver role on hold, he joined Judy at the food pantry.

“It started out as a couple hours on Tuesday morning, and now it’s about eight or nine hours a week,” Judy says. “It really is rewarding — I’ve met some great people, both volunteers and food pantry clients.”

Connors couldn’t be reached for comment.

Historically, volunteers have also come from within the Martino family. When Jim and Barbara started this operation in 1963 they had no children, but soon enough their two sons were born, and down the road grandchildren arrived on the scene.

“The two boys and the grandkids helped their mother and grandmother at the food pantry,” Jim says.

Avon Town Council chairman Dan Polhamus underscores that a primary role of government is to safeguard the health and well-being of citizens.

“As a community, we have a

responsibility to recognize the potential for any one of us to fall upon hard times,” he says, “and likewise there is shared responsibility to help each other out of these situations.”

Today Magazine asked Martino whether food insecurity is primarily a liberal issue or a conservative issue, or simply an issue connected to basic human compassion.

His reply: “This has never been politically motivated — we felt this was a need and wanted to give back to our community.”

The food pantry is stocked by Connecticut Foodshare, volunteer food drives and donations from individuals, businesses and organizations, including the Avon Volunteer Fire Department and the Avon-Canton Chamber of Commerce.

“Our church just had a food drive,” Martino says. “We never turn any food away — there’s always a need.” + Look for a story on the 40th anniversary of the Canton Food Bank in an upcoming edition of Today Magazine

Valley Leaders Address Hunger Questions

TWO FOOD SUPPORT organizations in the Farmington Valley are observing milestone anniversaries this year — the 60th for the Avon Food Pantry and the 40th for the Canton Food Bank.

Food banks and food pantries that support the other three Valley towns also started decades ago — see our cover story on page 4 for further details.

Today Magazine contacted Farmington Valley leaders in the town government, social service and church realms via email — seeking brief comment to three questions in conjunction with our coverage of Valley food banks and pantries in this edition.

Today Publishing covers the heart of the Farmington Valley — featuring the fve core Farmington Valley towns of

Avon, Canton, Farmington, Granby and Simsbury — via community news that matters nationwide.

The Valley leaders and their accompanying Q&As are listed in alphabetical order by town — and these are the three questions:

1 — What do you see as the main motivation for helping people who are hungry aka food-insecure?

2 — Someone might object: What about people who are able but unwilling to work — should they receive free food?

3 — What is another aspect of food insecurity that needs to be addressed in our community?

• Leaders were directed/requested to answer each question in 100 words or less

+++

AVON

Avon Food Pantry

Jim Martino

Avon Food Pantry — Director

1 — The main reason is to help those who need additional support as a way to give back and support our community.

2 — Individuals who request support need to register and provide proof at Avon’s Social Services Department to validate fnancial need. We relaxed these rules during the COVID pandemic, but they are back in place now.

3 — declined comment

Cheryl Barlow (seated) and Canton Food Bank director Jennifer Herbek weigh food items before distributing the food to families

Special to Today Magazine

Dan Polhamus

Avon Town Council — Chairman

1 — I believe that the core responsibility of government is to ensure the health and well-being of community members. As a community, we have a responsibility to recognize the potential for any one of us to fall upon hard times, and likewise there is shared responsibility to help each other out of these situations.

2 — The notion that there are substantial numbers of people who are unwilling to work has always seemed like a talking point intended to divide.

Connecticut is sitting at 3.6% unemployment — the vast majority of people want to work. I don’t think we are capable of efectively judging who of the unemployed are unwilling (vs. unable) to work.

Furthermore, families and networks of dependents are too easily ensnared in food insecurity for the government to be overly prescriptive in doling out sustenance.

3 — The importance of “safe” or “friendly” food pantry locations has only recently become obvious to me. In all of our communities, religious institutions predominantly host food pantries.

Despite the churches generally providing immense beneft to our communities, some community members are uncomfortable accessing food pantries through a religious institution, or may be uncomfortable with messaging and signage associated with access to the pantries.

While I am incredibly grateful for the wonderful social work our churches do for our communities, we do need to accept that the current religious environment is complex and we should ensure that community members are comfortable requesting and accessing help.

• After emailing three requests for comment, Today Magazine hasn’t seen answers from Avon Social Services director Alan Rosenberg and Saint Ann church pastor Alfonso Fontana — the Avon Food Pantry is based at Saint Ann

CANTON Canton Food Bank

Bob Bessel

Canton First Selectman

1 — Obviously, there’s a moral obligation to feed the hungry. But there are social and economic reasons, too. Children who are hungry can’t learn. Adults who are hungry can’t work, raise families and fully participate in our society.

We don’t have to look very far to see how food insecurity undermines basic social structures. Famine-stricken countries around the world simply can’t compete with food-secure countries. That impacts everyone, everywhere. If not today, then certainly tomorrow.

2 — Many of us fnd it difcult to imagine why someone could be unwilling to work. Work gives life purpose, a sense of accomplishment and self-worth.

To forsake those benefts could be a sign of mental health issues, which have been on the rise for many years in our state, country and even the communities where this magazine is published.

Should we punish people with mental health issues by withholding food? Will withholding food goad them into work?

For me, the answer to both of these questions is no. What other reasons would there be to withhold food?

3 — Food insecurity is an onramp to nutrition defciencies, which impact our health care system, insurance rates, police services, and our economy as a whole.

Companies have a more difcult time fnding workers to perform critical jobs. When undernourished workers do show up, their illnesses are more severe or their children’s illnesses are more

.9 wide 3.65 high

severe. This costs everyone socially and emotionally. Food is basic. Without it, our way of life comes to a grinding halt.

Karanne Farling

Senior Warden

Trinity Episcopal Church • Canton

• Canton Food Bank is based at Trinity

1 — Re: Our motivation for hosting the food bank — Recognizing that even in an afuent community like Canton, people struggle fnancially and experience food insecurity. By providing a space to store and distribute donated food, we are helping respond to a community need.

Due to our location, our space and our parking lot, we are in an accessible location and have the amenities to make it possible for people to access the Food Bank easily.

2 — Re: Judging who qualifes for benefts based on their willingness or unwillingness to work —

We ofer the venue for food distribution, and the town of Canton does vetting of eligibility for receiving benefts. It is not our place or our role

to judge the reasons why families or individuals qualify for assistance, as local public welfare policies determine this.

3 — Re: Other issues about food insecurity that need to be addressed — Public education about what food insecurity is, who is typically afected, how it can be addressed, and why it is important to provide a means of addressing it.

In addition to providing a venue for the Food Bank, the proceeds of at least one major fundraising activity each year go to the Canton Food Bank, the Canton Fuel Bank and the Trinity Nursery School.

• After emailing three requests for comment, Today Magazine hasn’t seen answers from Canton Senior & Social Services director Tonoa Jackson

FARMINGTON

Farmington Food Pantry

Laurie Mucciacciaro

Supportive Services Supervisor

Farmington Community Services

1 — The main motivation is to assist people with their basic needs so that we can end hunger within our community.

2 — Any Farmington/Unionville resident who meets the income requirements is eligible to receive food from the Farmington Food Pantry.

3 — Some residents may feel too proud and don’t want to utilize the pantry, feeling that they will be judged.

• After emailing three requests for comment, Today Magazine hasn’t seen answers from Farmington Town Council chair C.J. Thomas and First Church of Christ Congregational pastor Susan Gibson — the Farmington Food Pantry is based at First Church of Christ

GRANBY

Granby Food Bank

Nancy Scheetz

Farmington Valley VNA – CEO

• The FV Visiting Nurse Association manages the Granby Food Bank

1 — Clearly, ours is a support service — if there is any situation where someone may have limited resources, and most of the time this is fnancial, and food supply can assist, this is just the service that ofers help. ...

In the world today, where food costs have risen greatly, it is not a surprise that people cannot aford the food that is needed to stay healthy.

2 — declined comment

3 — The food that people eat, if they had all that they could aford, should be the type that is healthy, sustaining good health. Some would say that only those who have enough money can support their health by healthy choices.

• After emailing three requests for comment, Today Magazine hasn’t seen answers from Granby frst selectman Mark Fiorentino and Granby Social Services director Sandra Yost

SIMSBURY

Simsbury Food Pantry

Kristen Formanek Director

Simsbury Social Services

1 — declined comment

2 — We don’t have any concerns with the people who are accessing our services and everyone is screened for eligibility.

3 — One aspect that is often not addressed is access to fresh items as well as those household items not covered by basic benefts such as cleaning and paper products.

At our monthly food distribution we do provide fresh produce as well as toilet paper, and we strive to have cleaning products on our shelves.

• After emailing three requests for comment, Today Magazine hasn’t seen answers from Simsbury frst selectman Wendy Mackstutis and Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church pastor Chris Dion — the Simsbury Food Pantry is based at Shepherd of the Hills +++

Editor’s Note

• Regarding Comment from Church Leaders

Today Magazine requested comment from nine church leaders in the Farmington Valley for this Q&A feature, in two categories, giving each an opportunity to comment on this key societal issue:

Church Category #1

Today Magazine invited comment from leaders at four churches where Valley food pantries and banks are located — the Church of Saint Ann in Avon, Trinity Episcopal Church in Canton, First Church of Christ Congregational in Farmington, and Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church in Simsbury. The Granby Food Bank, located in the Granby ofce of the Farmington Valley Visiting Nurse Association, is the only Valley food bank or pantry that isn’t located in a church.

Church Category #2

Today Magazine also invited comment from leaders at fve churches where

editor-in-chief Bruce Deckert has attended services since establishing Today Publishing in 2018: in alphabetical order — Covenant Presbyterian Church, New Life In Christ Fellowship, Simsbury United Methodist Church, Street Church and Valley Simsbury.

• After emailing three requests for comment, Today Magazine hasn’t seen a reply from these church leaders

Previous Today Magazine Q&As

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• Award-winning George Floyd coverage: Valley Reaction + Next Steps

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Karen Brand restocks the shelves at the Canton Food Bank

Relational Focus Goes Hand in Hand with Food Security

By Jennifer Herbek Special to Today Magazine

Herbek is the director of the Canton Food Bank — celebrating its 40th anniversary this year

FAMILIES dealing with food insecurity need to know there are resources available both in the public and private sector that provide relief.

At the Canton Food Bank, eachweek we serve 40-50 families, providing food assistance in the Canton community and distributing 940 pounds of food on average, which is the equivalent of 780 meals.

Although the total number of meals and people served each week is a great way to measure utilization and the “success” of a program, volunteers are even more motivated by building a sense of community and strengthening relationships, making the food bank experience less transactional and more relational.

In terms of political persuasions, the Canton Food Bank is a nonproft agency, not funded by the government, that has a volunteer base of up to 60 people — all united together in the goal of helping other members in the community dealing with food insecurity.

Our partnership with Connecticut Foodshare helps to stabilize and expand our inventory. But at the end of the day, the shelves in the pantry are sourced through generous donations from organizations like the Canton Community Health Fund, local churches and schools, and individual families in the community.

Approximately 15 volunteers work each week to prepare and distribute food assistance to families in Canton on Monday evenings and Tuesday mornings.

We talk with the families informally to see where they struggle and how we can fll that need. We conduct formal surveys to poll preferences and needs to ensure our eforts are not just meaningful in terms of community service, but make a true impact in the families we serve.

The most current survey revealed that in addition to food insecurity,

families are concerned about and want more information on energy assistance and afordable housing in Canton.

At the Food Bank, we are working on ways to provide information, make referrals or have professionals in these areas come to our location to assist our families in person. Additionally, the Food Bank makes eforts to communicate nutritional goals to the public and potential donors.

We use monetary donations to provide an ofering of fresh produce and fresh fruit weekly, 100% fruit juice, fresh eggs and dairy, and three frozen meats to prepare three meals for the week.

Our partnership with local businesses like ShopRite and Bristol’s Farm is key. These nutritional goals and fresh initiatives guide the oferings at the Food Bank, and members of the community and local businesses make it happen. +

Jennifer Herbek became the director of the Canton Food Bank in August of 2022

Photo by Tom Kutz

Nuts & Bolts Info: Valley Food Banks + Pantries

AVON FOOD PANTRY

Established — 1963

Location — Church of Saint Ann

— 289 Arch Road • Avon

Hours of Operation

—Tuesdays – 9:30-11:30 am

Clients Served — about 45 households per week

Volunteers — 5 core volunteers — others on occasion

• Notes — see story on page 9

CANTON FOOD BANK

Established — 1983

Location — Trinity Episcopal Church — 55 River Road • Canton

Hours of Operation

—Mondays – 6:00-7:00 pm

—Tuesdays – 7:30-11:30 am

Clients Served — about 40-50 households per week

Volunteers — about 15 per week

— volunteer base of up to 60

• Notes — see story on opposite page

FARMINGTON FOOD PANTRY

Established — exact year unknown

—Per FFP website, founded more than 30 years ago

—awaiting answer from social services

Location — First Church of Christ

Congregational: Amistad Hall

—75 Main Street • Farmington

Hours of Operation

—Tuesdays – 9:30-11:45 am

—3rd Saturday monthly – 9:30-11:45 am

Clients Served — about 55 households per week

Volunteers — about 30 per week

• Notes — from FFP website

• 70,520+ pounds of food distributed in 2022

• 2350+ volunteer service hours: 2022

• Distributed about 5870 pounds per month in 2022

GRANBY FOOD BANK

Established — circa 1970

Location — Granby Ofce:

Farmington Valley VNA

—248 Salmon Brook Street • Granby

Hours of Operation

—Tuesdays – 10:30-12:00 noon

—Thursdays – 2:00-3:30 pm

Clients Served — about 20-30 households per week

—about 100 households are eligible

Volunteers — about 2-3 per week

• Notes — from Nancy Scheetz

• FV VNA CEO

• Around 1970, one of our nurses started a closet in the Granby town ofces for food — she had a family she was caring for, the husband had lost his job, and she was worried the children did not have enough food.

• The Granby Food Bank has always been and is still owned and run by the Farmington Valley VNA, on behalf of the residents of Granby.

• We work together with Granby Social Services — they qualify residents to be participants and we manage the rest.

SIMSBURY FOOD PANTRY

Established — 1981

Location — Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church

—7 Wescott Road • Simsbury

Hours of Operation

—Second Tuesday each month

—in the morning — by appointment

Clients Served — about 70 households per month

Volunteers — about 12 per month

• Notes — from Kristen Formanek

• Simsbury Social Services Director

• When our pantry began, the town was in receipt of government surplus commodities that were distributed through our program known as Cheese Day.

• Our pantry was based at Eno Memorial Hall from 1981 until 2021 — early in 2022, due to major expansion, we moved to Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, where we lease space.

• We now are solely dependent upon donations to sustain our program.

continued on next page

Canton Food Bank

Other Valley Food Banks-Pantries and Food Resources

Gifts of Love — Avon

Healing Meals

Community Project — Simsbury

Meals on Wheels — various locations

Mobile Connecticut Foodshare

— various Valley locations

Waste Not Want Not

Community Kitchen — Granby

• If you know of further Valley-connected social service agencies and food resources to include on this list, email Today Magazine: newsroom@TodayPublishing.net

Sources — for above info

— Food bank + food pantry directors and ofcials

— Town social service directors

— Town + church + food bank websites

www.TodayPublishing.net

Avon Food Pantry

School Fashion Follies: Diagnosing A Teen Dysfunction

By Shayaan Khan Special to Today Magazine

Editor’s Note

Shayaan is in 8th grade at Henry James Memorial School in Simsbury

He has previously contributed stories to Today Magazine and Today Online — including two cogent articles about his experience of COVID as a fourth - grader and a ffth - grader In this article, he chronicles his middleschool journey vis-à- vis a problematic school topic — brand obsession

STARTING a new school year and entering sixth grade, I was unsure about how I would ft in — a reasonable worry for most students. The previous school year we did distance learning because of the COVID pandemic, so we could not continue our companionship with most of our friends from fourth grade. However, ffth grade was fun and I enjoyed it.

On the frst day of sixth grade, I made friends with relative ease, as someone I had known previously was in my class. He had two other friends, and I became the fourth member of this friend group.

As time went on, however, a few kids started asserting their dominance in the class. They would do everything in their power to demean everyone else, and one of my friends became a close friend with one of the bossy kids.

They called me a nerd, to which I calmly responded that the dictionary defnition of nerd isn’t bad — for example, here is how the Google dictionary defnes nerd: “a person who is extremely enthusiastic and knowledgeable about a particular subject, especially one of specialist or niche interest.”

They would also make fun of my Reebok sneakers, which until then I liked.

I couldn’t understand their behavior. They would be nice to me, just when they needed my help in class. They would like to throw the work of a group project entirely on me, but when they were playing games during

recess and free time, they would quickly exclude me from their activities, just because of my unbranded attire and “uncool personality.”

Throughout seventh grade, I felt sucked into this social queue.

Brand obsession is probably the biggest example of the severe herd mentality at school. “If you don’t have branded sneakers, you are not cool” and “Imagine wearing that brand” — these are commonplace clichés at school. To break free of the queue is to become an outcast, a major fear for most people. The pressure is unfair, as many students ask for Nike, Jordan,

Adidas or Under Armour, and the preferred sneakers are $100 to $150. For growing youth, that is an inexplicable amount to pay for a pair of shoes.

After the extreme pressure I had in sixth grade, and with seventh grade being a fresh start, I opted for Under Armour, which was still on the low end but somehow an upgrade from my previous Reeboks.

The reason for brand obsession is rather simple: People, especially youth, see their idols advertising diferent brands. They want to be like their favorite sportsperson or celebrity and

• Under Armour Curry 2 Splash Party Basketball Shoes

• Reebok Royal BB4500 Hi 2 Basketball Shoes

The Nike Air Jordan is perhaps the most iconic sneaker brand in the history of athletic footwear think, “If I buy the brand promoted by this celebrity I admire, I will be more like my idol.”

Now this is perhaps harmless enough — everyone wants to be like their inspiration, but the problem arises when so many people buy that product and believe the brand makes them better and therefore the people who do not have such products are less worthy.

A big example of following the icon is when NBA star Stephen Curry signed a shoe deal with Under Armour. The year he signed the deal, there was a 30% jump in overall proft, and shoe sales went up by 64%.

I am not against expensive sneakers — this is a free-market economy. Manufacturers can keep the prices of their sneakers as high as they want, and the quality and specifcations of those products are sometimes better than the average running shoe. They are specifed for a certain type of use.

The problem lies in associating social status with brands. I know that people who do not have “branded” wear

so they can wear their branded clothes longer. It is for sure a sad state to see the obsession.

Commercials often emphasize that gear plays an important part in a star athlete’s success. However, in basketball and in other sports, many legends had a tough childhood where they did not even have their basic necessities fulflled — never mind being able to aford expensive branded gear.

For example, NBA star LeBron James experienced monetary hardship as a child. Yet he was able to rise and make smart decisions in his life, which has brought him to his current stature.

December. As a child, Pelé did not have the proper gear or anything that would assist his skill. In fact, his family was so poor that he used a rolled-up sock as a soccer ball.

People need to understand that schools are for developing and grooming skills, and fashion obsession should not be the priority in a school setting. There is a world of knowledge to explore, and we circumscribe our vision and narrow our judgment when we don’t see beyond the sneakers and clothes a student wears. +

An eighth-g rader, Shayaan Khan lives in Simsbury with his parents,

ALWAYS

we’ve

Pianos

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Anthology Senior Living — 860-546-8037 — Simsbury www.anthologyseniorliving.com > Location

Avon Health Center — 860-673-2521 — Avon www.avonhealthcenter.com

Avon Historical Society — 860-678-7621 — Avon www.avonhistoricalsociety.org

A Teen Edge — 860-593-2822 www.ateenedge.com

Board and Brush — 860-392-8567 — Simsbury www.boardandbrush.com/simsbury

Canton Barn LLC — 860-693-0601 — Canton www.cantonbarn.com

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Canton Food Bank — 860-693-5811 — Canton www.townofcantonct.org

Carmon Funeral Homes — 860-673-8610 www.carmonfuneralhome.com

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Carol Cole Real Estate — 860-212-0687 — Canton www.carolcolerealestate.com

Cherry Brook Health Care Center — 860-693-7777 — Canton www.cherrybrookhcc.com

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Christensen Insurance — 860-651-8236 — Simsbury www.insuranceagentswhocare.com

Christopher Bryant Co. — 860-243-3500 — Bloomfeld www.thechristopherbryantcompany.com

Collinsville Bank — 860-693-6935 — Canton www.collinsvillebank.com

Connecticut Dance Academy — 860-707-4198 — Canton www.ctdanceacademy.com

Connecticut Headshots — 860-263-9277 — Avon www.connecticutheadshots.com

Dynamic Auto Works — 860-693-6359 — Canton www.facebook.com/DynamicAutoCanton

Erica Maglieri: Realtor — 860-324-6842 bhhsneproperties.com/real-estate-agent/757/erica-maglieri

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Fresh Start Pallet Products — 860-266-5726 — Hartford www.freshstartpalletproducts.org

Granby-Simsbury Chamber of Commerce — 860-651-7307 www.simsburycoc.org

Green Door Restaurant — 860-693-9762 — Canton www.41bridgestreet.com

Habitat for Humanity — 860-541-2208 — Hartford www.hfhncc.org

Harris Home Improvement — 860-817-7191 — Granby www.harrishomeimprovement.net

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Hartford Symphony Orchestra — 860-246-8742 — Hartford www.hartfordsymphony.org

HealthMarkets Insurance — 860-307-1128 — Torrington www.healthmarkets.com — Mel Brickman

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Hulme & Sweeney Pianos — 860-408-4895 — Simsbury www.hulmesweeneypianoservice.com

Karedigs.com — 860-379-4340 — Barkhamsted www.karedigs.com

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Kerian Home Health Care — 860-851-6267 — Simsbury www.keriancares.com

Kevin Witkos: State Senator Landscape Solutions — 860-329-2014 — New Hartford www.landscapesolutionsct.com

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Leslee Hill for State Representative

Lifetime Family Dentistry — 860-605-2075 — Collinsville www.lifetimefamilydentistryct.com

Linda Kessler: Realtor — 860-836-6172 — Avon www.coldwellbankerhomes.com > Agents

Liza Sivek Marketing — 203-278-5492 www.lizasivekmarketing.com

Maglieri Construction — 860-242-0298 — Bloomfeld www.maglieri-construction.com

Magna Physical Therapy — 860-679-0430 — Avon www.magnapt.com

Maher’s Paint & Wallpaper — 860-678-1200 — Avon + Simsbury www.maherspaintandwallpaper.com

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Make It GF — 860-693-1300 — Canton www.makeitgf.com

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Mandel Vilar Press — 806-790-4731 — Simsbury www.mvpublishers.org

Massage Envy — 860-693-8000 — Canton www.massageenvy.com > Locations

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The Master’s School — 860-651-9361 — West Simsbury www.masterschool.org

McLean — 860-658-3786 — Simsbury www.mcleancare.org

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Nails of Envy — formerly Canton + Avon

Northwest Community Bank — 860-379-7561 www.nwcommunitybank.com

Odalys Bekanich: Realtor — 860-965-3652 — Avon www.coldwellbankerhomes.com > Agents

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Peggy’s Personalized Promos — 860-379-7775 — New Hartford www.peggys.biz

Planning Partners LLC — 860-693-9916 — Canton www.planningpartner.com

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Raimie Weber Jewelry — 860-409-3400 — Avon www.rweberjewelry.com

Randy Brolo: Book Author www.lulu.com > Spirit of Delilah

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Ravenswood Natural Health — 860-264-1587 — Simsbury www.ravenswoodnaturalhealth.com

Red Bison General Contractor — 860-810-8581 — Hartford www.nextdoor.com/pages/red-bison-general-contractor-llc-hartford-ct

Richman Business Brokerage — 860-408-9177 — Simsbury www.richmanbusiness.com — formerly The Deal Team

Stone Man Masonry — 860-693-4637 — Canton www.facebook.com/StoneManMasonryCT

Suburban Sanitation Service — 860-673-3078 — Canton www.subsanserv.com

Tom Kutz Photography — 860-693-6254 — Canton www.tomkutzphoto.com

Trading Post — 860-693-4679 — Canton www.tradingpostmusic.com

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Transition Fitness Center — 860-398-1449 — Canton www.transition-ftness-center.business.site

UConn Health — 860-658-8750 www.health.uconn.edu

Up Top Barbershop — 860-658-4499 — Simsbury www.booksy.com > Up Top Barbershop

Vincent Funeral Homes — 860-693-0251 www.vincentfuneralhome.com

Vincent Tully: Realtor — 860-214-3030 www.coldwellbankerhomes.com > Agent

Welden Hardware — 860-658-4078 — Simsbury www.weldenhardware.com

William Raveis — 860-693-2987 — Avon www.raveis.com/agentfnd.asp?smart=1

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The Village for Families & Children — 860-236-4511 — Hartford www.thevillage.org/second-chance-shops virtualens Designs — 860-348-6902 — Simsbury www.virtualens.art

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