“Stamp Out Hunger” is the largest, single-day food drive in the nation, and a great way to help fill the pantry shelves at The Shoreline Soup Kitchens & Pantries.

This year on Saturday, May 9th, letter carriers will collect bags of healthy, non-perishable food that people have set out by their mailboxes. Donations are delivered to the Post Office where they are sorted and then taken to local food distribution agencies including The Shoreline Soup Kitchen’s 5 shoreline pantries.

The “Stamp Out Hunger” Food Drive is so important to SSKP because in the spring the amount of donated food is much lower. According to a recent study by the United Way called "ALICE" (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed), 25% of Middlesex County residents struggle to afford the basics of housing, food, health care, childcare, and transportation.  These struggling families rely on SSKP pantries to help put food on their tables.

Please watch for a notice from your letter carries and help us “Stamp out Hunger” on May 9^th!

 

For more information about the annual “Stamp Out Hunger” drive, ask your letter carrier, contact your local post office or visit facebook.com/StampOutHunger.

During the 2014-15 school year, members of the PTO collaborating with staff and students have organized and implemented an Empty Bowls community service project at Westbrook Middle School.  Empty Bowls is an international grassroots effort to fight hunger and was created by The Imagine Render Group. The basic premise is simple: Potters and other craftspeople, educators and others work with the community to create handcrafted bowls. Guests are invited to a simple meal of soup and bread. In exchange for a cash donation, guests are asked to keep a bowl as a reminder of all the empty bowls in the world. The money raised is donated to an organization working to end hunger and food insecurity.

 

Over 350 bowls were glazed by hundreds of parents, neighbors, students, and staff from the Westbrook community.  A culminating event took place on January 29 with over 230 members of the community in attendance.  Money raised from the event was given to two local charities – Shoreline Soup Kitchens and Pantries, and End Hunger Connecticut.

 

On February 26, Westbrook Middle School students from all grade levels who volunteered for the event helped WMS principal Cori DiMaggio to present a check for $1,500 to Patty Dowling, Executive Director of Shoreline Soup Kitchens and Pantries.

 

Thanks to all who contributed to the Empty Bowls project - truly an amazing effort!

 

For more information about these sessions and the project go to the WMS PTO Empty Bowls blog at http://wmsemptybowls.westbrookctschools.org/.

 

 

(Photo by Liz Egan)

On February 26, Westbrook Middle School students from all grade levels helped WMS principal Cori DiMaggio present a check for $1500 to Patty Dowling, Executive Director of Shoreline Soup Kitchens and Pantries. The money was raised from the school’s five-month long community service activity, The Empty Bowls Project, spearheaded by the WMS PTO Climate Committee.

 

More than 425 local businesses and individuals came together and donated an incredible $137,747 to benefit the Shoreline Soup Kitchens & Pantries through the Gowrie Group Challenge. Not only did the challenge surpass the declared goal of raising $125,000, but more donors than ever before participated in the challenge.

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Thanks to Coldwell Cares for this generous donation!