Our Collective Holiday Table
Holiday feasts are cultural touchstones and displays of gratitude, celebration, and festivity. They bring people together, strengthening our bonds.
I feel fortunate to live in Vermont, where these feasts can include local, fresh, nourishing food, and where we honor and celebrate community by caring for our neighbors. I am also grateful to share stewardship of Vermont Foodbank with you, helping to ensure that we all have a seat at our collective holiday table.
Your Foodbank exists because systemic barriers lead to unequal food access for some neighbors. For these neighbors, holiday meals can be a stretch. We all deserve to celebrate our cultures
and traditions, connect with our communities, and enjoy nourishing, festive meals throughout the season.
Supporting your Vermont Foodbank helps fill the gaps for families and individuals—whether through a free food distribution, the local food shelf, or the administration of federal food programs like SNAP—and ensures that we can all share meaningful moments around the holiday table, with unity and connection.
Thank you.
John Sayles CEO
An Essex County Neighbor on Giving Back
Denise is the manager at Sid’s Pantry, one of the 220+ food shelves and meal sites that make up the Vermont Foodbank network. In between visits from neighbors picking up food, Denise talks about how her own experiences with food insecurity influence the ways she supports her community.
Denise’s first experience with Sid’s Pantry in Concord, VT, was as a neighbor regularly visiting to access food. “I was going and there were probably about 15 people that I would see regularly, the same older people. And it was always the same, very nice and friendly with two ladies [working].”
Denise moved to a different town for a few years and when she came back to Concord, she went back to the food shelf. It was then that she recognized the need for food shelves to offer more variety to neighbors. “I could really see the future, that we need to advocate for fresh fruits and vegetables,” Denise says. So Denise decided to ask for more fresh food and non-food items like deodorant and shampoo.
Now, as the food shelf manager, Denise continues to bring in and make available the items people want and need.
Denise sees how people appreciate the fresh food Sid’s is able offer, thanks to Vermont Foodbank programs that distribute free, fresh produce and purchase directly from local farmers—made possible with support from
Community members like you and Denise are helping make sure neighbors have the fresh food they want and need, this giving season and all year long.
friends like you.
“I drop by the farm stand and pick up cherry tomatoes, then greens, green onions, and squash,” Denise recalls. “They loved it, you know? It is fresh and I make sure any of these are from our farm right down the road so that they can have a taste of that. Because that’s the other thing… people can’t always afford to pay those prices. I feel like advocating for poor people that also deserve [fresh, local food].”
Try Denise’s Minestrone!
“Here is a holiday recipe which I have chosen with love from my mother’s recipe box. It is a warm comfort food that can be served on a budget and, YES, for any celebration. And everything is pantry available too.”
Recipe on page 7
Celebrating & Connecting Around Food
With the high cost of food, James needed some help accessing the quality, nourishing food he wants to eat—so he got in touch with the Foodbank. Now, James is sharing his experience to encourage people to seek help when they need it.
James will be celebrating Thanksgiving and Christmas with his family this year, like he always does. “While we don’t have any special or unique traditions per se, the gathering of family members, friends, and even some strangers to celebrate with delicious food, screaming children, and playful banter is good enough for us,” he says.
James lives in Windham County, and enjoys cooking, gaming, and reading. He loves learning about other people’s hobbies and interests, and frequently cares for his friends’ pets when they’re out of town. James speaks often of relating to
and connecting with others and shares a positive outlook on all topics—even the challenging ones, like his community’s need for affordable housing or the difficulty of accessing nourishing food.
“Unfortunately, food cost overall has increased significantly in my experiences, especially quality foods that are less processed and/or organic,” explains James. “It is a worry for me when I want to start a family, because I want them to be able to consume foods that are healthy but that may be unobtainable with the way prices are heading. Although there is some cheaper food
Together, we’re working to make sure everyone in Vermont has enough nourishing food during the holidays and every day.
available, my worry is the quality of the food and the effects it can have on my body, and this is a valid concern for many others as well.”
James recently applied for 3SquaresVT with assistance from Vermont Foodbank, provided with your support. 3SquaresVT (sometimes called SNAP or “food stamps”) is a program that provides money to purchase groceries each month.
“3SquaresVT has been an amazing resource in allowing me to purchase the food I want and enjoy,” shares James. “I know that I have a little flexibility with 3SquaresVT assistance and that’s been a big relief.”
James describes the assistance he received from the Foodbank as “honestly amazing” and encourages
neighbors to apply for food assistance.
“Food is getting more expensive and, in some cases, inaccessible, yet it remains to be one of our primary sources to staying alive. As such, it is imperative for people to not only eat, but also eat food that you enjoy, is healthy, and nutritious. Not only for yourself, but for your family as well.”
“I would urge people to not be afraid to seek help; we’re human and we all need it from time to time. Sometimes we need help physically, other times it’s financial, and there are times where mental help is necessary too. 3SquaresVT can be a great resource for you and your family if you need it, so don’t be afraid to give it a try!”
It takes all of us—the Foodbank, the state and federal government, and community members like you and James—supporting one another, to make sure everyone in Vermont has nourishing food this holiday season and every day of the year.
This holiday season, James plans to celebrate with one of his favorites: “Honestly, as simple as it sounds, baked macaroni and cheese is one of my favorite dishes to eat during the holidays. It’s such a wonderful comfort food.”
“The holidays and celebrations in general are truly special times,” says James. “Regardless of if it’s with family, friends, or random people, it reminds us that we’re all connected via the food we consume, the oxygen we breathe, and the earth we share. We may be separated by geography, language, or culture, but ultimately, everyone in the world is always happy about eating amazing food, spending time with the ones they care for, and sharing as much love as they’re capable of.”
Photo and name substituted to protect privacy. If you are interested in sharing your story, please visit vtfoodbank.org/share-your-story. To learn more about 3SquaresVT, visit vtfoodbank.org/3SVT
Families and neighbors will be able to celebrate with festive meals, thanks to support from you and the Foodbank community.
Sharing the Ingredients for a Holiday Meal
In Bennington and Rutland counties, BROC Community Action has developed programs to make it easier for neighbors to put together nourishing holiday meals. Turkey tickets, a Holiday Shop, and creative thinking are filling pantries this holiday season thanks to help from you.
“Basically, the Holiday Shop has everything you need to create the Thanksgiving meal, or at least traditionally what we’ve found that folks typically ask for,” says Amy, the food program manager at BROC. BROC is a community action organization with two locations in Vermont that provides support services—including food shelves—for people with low incomes, and partners with the Foodbank to distribute food to
local communities.
“So, it’s things like green beans, some shelf stable potatoes, we try to have cranberry sauce, mushrooms, stuffing, that kind of stuff…typically we don’t have butter, but butter is something I will kind of spoil everybody with for the Holiday Shop because it’s necessary in every single dish for Thanksgiving.”
Amy explains that the Holiday Shop doesn’t affect peoples’ regular shopping at BROC’s food shelves. Throughout the year, individuals shop either weekly or monthly at the food shelves based on their needs and abilities. Come the holidays, Amy says, BROC organizes the special Holiday Shops to ensure people have the extras they need to put together holiday meals. And those extras do include turkeys–each shopper receives a coupon valid for one free 10- to 14- pound frozen turkey.
“I fight tooth and nail for my turkeys,” Amy says with a laugh. “Typically, I start calling Caleb [at the Foodbank] at the beginning of September and ask when the turkeys will be in.”
For this year, Amy and the BROC staff are focusing on streamlining the existing Holiday Shop system and making some tweaks to meet the needs of a growing population of new Americans in the two counties.
“I want to make sure that we have everything and then yeah, to add in things for holidays that are happening for new Americans I think is a really great idea…” Amy says while looking over a long list of foods she’s been sourcing. “If we’re able to [find storage], then we will have halal meat that
Denise’s Minestrone
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cans of beans (kidney, black, and/or chickpea), drained and rinsed
• 2 cans of vegetables (green beans, corn, and/or carrots), drained and rinsed
• 1 can of diced tomatoes or tomato sauce
• 1/2 box of pasta (any kind, short shapes work best), cooked and drained
• 3 cups water or stock of any kind
folks can choose from and that hopefully will help with their families for the holidays…because we’ll have African families, they’ll probably have holidays that they celebrate, so it’ll be interesting to learn a little bit more, from them, what they have that’s coming up around the same time. That’s why they call it the ‘holiday season,’ because there are so many holidays happening at the same time.”
Everyone should be able to celebrate holidays and special occasions with the dishes and food traditions that are meaningful to them. That’s why your support of your neighbors and your community means so much, especially this time of year.
While all the preparations leading up to the Holiday Shop are a lot of work, for Amy, who used to run a restaurant before starting with BROC a few years ago, making sure there’s plenty of festive food to go around is worth it.
“I used to sell food, now I get to give it away,” she says. “It’s so much better, the giving is so much better than the selling!”
If you’re inspired to share your own story, please visit vtfoodbank.org/share-your-story.
Continued from page 3
• Italian seasoning mix and/or combo of basil, garlic, oregano, parsley (all can be dried or fresh)
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Parmesan cheese (fresh grated is good), to top
1. Sauté the chopped onion in a large pot, with your choice of oil, over medium heat until soft.
2. In the large pot, combine sautéed onion with all other ingredients except the Parmesan cheese.
3. Season to taste with the herbs (or seasoning mix), salt, and pepper.
4. Let simmer for several hours on low heat, adding more liquid if needed.
5. Place in mugs or bowls, top with cheese, and enjoy!
Make the Season BRIGHT
With the days getting shorter and flurries in the air, people are pulling on thick socks and wrapping their hands around mugs of hot cocoa. Snow shovels sit by the front door, and soup is simmering on the stove. The holidays will be here before we know it, but not everyone in Vermont is able to look forward to sharing good food with loved ones around the table this year.
We’ve all been feeling the impact of high prices. The need for food assistance is near an all-time high in Vermont, and the Foodbank has been purchasing more food than ever. For a lot of families, a trip to a free food distribution or food shelf will be the key to creating memories around a holiday meal.
That’s why Vermont Foodbank is doing everything we can to make sure neighbors experiencing hunger have access to festive, nourishing food this holiday season.
You can help.
When you make a gift today, you can help ensure families facing hunger have all the ingredients for a nourishing, joyful holiday meal. A gift of $35 can help provide $145 worth of food.
One neighbor visiting a free food distribution recently told us that being able to bring food home “is like a special gift that I can look forward to, the content of which I can share with others.”
Everyone deserves to enjoy the comforts of a good meal this holiday season—and every day.
During this season of giving, please consider making a gift to Vermont Foodbank. Together, we can ensure everyone in Vermont has access to nourishing food this holiday season and beyond.
If you or someone you know could use help accessing food, please be in touch. Our contact information is below, and our website is available in many languages spoken in Vermont.