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A Word About Faith In Community
Faith in Community is key to our work
at The Council of Churches of Greater Bridgeport Faith in Community is many
things. It is fellowship, connecting peoples and congregations. It is service,
helping those in need. It is collaboration, diverse people and groups working
together for the common good. The two facets of Faith in Community are Hunger
Outreach and Bridge Building. HUNGER OUTREACH
"Since
becoming involved with the Hunger Outreach Program, we have been able to
service many more people in need. Our food pantry, combined with the efforts of
The Council and the support of the donors in the community, we are also able to
educate the Bridgeport community on this overwhelming issue."
| — Director, South
End Center |
Did You Know —
— that every day 30,000 people run the risk
of going hungry in Greater Bridgeport?
— of this
number, approximately 30% are children?
and most of the
other 70% are homeless teens, seniors, and adults with acute personal, medical,
job or life problems that seriously impact their ability to earn a living wage?
Although it is unsettling to learn that national
figures cite Bridgeport as among our nation's cities with the highest child
poverty rates, the number of working poor is particularly disturbing. In one of
the wealthiest states in the country, even with at least one parent in the
workforce, 26% of Connecticut children are living in poverty.
The Hunger Outreach program provides
support services to a network of 34 local congregations and community
groups that provide direct services to our neediest neighbors in Bridgeport,
Stratford, Trumbull, Monroe and Fairfield. Hunger Outreach also applies for and
distributes funds from FEMA to pay for immediate needs — food
and necessary equipment — and works to secure long-term funding
from U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services.
The Hunger Outreach program provides
suppHunger Outreach also
works with community partners to find long-term solutions to the growing
problem of hunger in our community, and serves as an advocate for both the
individuals facing hunger and the groups who work to help them. Staff
coordinates community efforts to recruit of volunteers needed at local sites
and assists with local and national food drives.
Feeding Sites
Hunger Outreach, working with local congregations
and community groups prepared and served
over 1,000,000 meals last
year. This network of over 34 food kitchens, pantries and mobile units is made
up of mostly volunteers, and works seven days a week, 365 days a year to feed
needy families and individuals.
Hunger Outreach programs
currently serve about 50% of those suffering from hunger in the Greater
Bridgeport area. We want to do more. And with your help we can. For more
information, please contact Byron Crosdale at
byroncrosdale@ccgb.org.
For a listing of sites click here.
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HOW TO
ORGANIZE A FOOD DRIVE:
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Gather food and deliver
it to a feeding program in Greater Bridgeport
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Select and contact the
feeding program for which you would like to gather food from the attached
list or other sources
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Call the Contact for that
program. Review the list of foods and ask if they have any specific food
needs that you could focus on. Arrange a time and date to deliver the food you
collect.
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Identify the group to
involve in your project such as friends from church, work, a club, school,
etc.
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Set a Goal i.e. 100 jars
of peanut butter, etc.
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Teach others to do what you
do
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PLAN
YOUR COLLECTION:
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Collect Money and foods
after a church service, service club meeting or event.
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Create your own approach
plan an event that appeals to you particular group
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Bag the collection and
deliver to the program as agreed with the contact person
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Visit the program while it
is in operation call ahead to check
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Communicate with the
program Communication is the single most important element to
making this a good experience for all
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E-mail your results of your
event to: byroncrosdale@ccgb.org
at the Council of Churches
Data include amount raised, program you sponsored and the name of
your group, congregation or organization.
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For
More
Information
Contact
The Council of Churches of Greater Bridgeport 1100
Boston Avenue, Bldg. 5A
Bridgeport, CT 06610
Phone:
203-334-1121 x 249 Fax: 203 367-8113 Email:
byroncrosdale@ccgb.org |
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Hunger Outreach Sites as of
July 1, 2007
Agape Soup
Kitchen, 1243 Stratford Avenue, Bridgeport, CT 06607 Agape Food Pantry, First Baptist Church, 1301 Stratford Avenue,
Stratford, CT 06615 American Red Cross, 158 Brooklawn Avenue,
Bridgeport, CT 6604 Bridgeport Rescue Mission, 1088 Fairfield
Avenue, Bridgeport, CT 06605
Calvary / St. George's
Episcopal Church, 755 Clinton Street,
Bridgeport, CT 06605
Daughters of Charity Rescue
Mission, 1490 North Avenue, Bridgeport, CT 6604
East End Community
Council, 1149
Stratford Ave., Bridgeport,
CT 06607
East End Tabernacle
Baptist Church, 548 Central Avenue, Bridgeport, CT 06607
Faith Gospel Assembly Church, 407 Lafayette Street, Bridgeport,
CT 06604
Father's House Food Pantry, Jesus Saves
Ministeries, 784 Connecticut Avenue, Bridgeport, CT 06607
First Haitian Evangelical Church, Innovation Center, 955
Connecticut Avenue, Stratford, CT 06615
Golden Hill United
Methodist Church, 210 Elm Street, Bridgeport, CT 06604
King's Pantry, P.O. Box 55018, 30 Florence Street, Bridgeport,
CT 06610
Kitchen of Hope, New Hope Baptist Church, 1100 Park
Avenue, Bridgeport, CT 06604
Light on the Hill Food
Pantry, Summerfield UMC, 110
Clermont Ave., Bridgeport,
CT 06610
Lighthouse Community Lunch, Full
Gospel Pentecostal Church, 34 Beechwood Avenue,
Bridgeport, CT 06604
Manna, Good Shepherd Christian Church, 725 Hancock Avenue,
Bridgeport, CT 06605
Monroe Food Pantry, 7 Fan Hill Road,
Monroe, CT 06468
Operation Hope, 50 Nichols Street,
Fairfield, CT 06824
Park City Initiative/Bishop Jean's Pantry,
4 Worth Street, Bridgeport, CT 0660
Russel Temple Community Supper,
Russell Temple CME Church, 555 Colorado Avenue,
Bridgeport, CT 06610
Salvation Army, 30 Elm Street, Bridgeport, CT 06604
Share the Bounty, West End Tabernacle CME Church, 365 Colorado
Avenue, Bridgeport, CT 06605
South End Community Pantry, 19
Bates Street, Stratford, CT 06615
St. Ambrose Church, 1596 Boston
Avenue, Bridgeport, CT 06610
St. Augustine Cathedral, 359
Washington Avenue, Bridgeport, CT 06604-3826
St. Charles Borromeo
Parish, 391 Ogden Street, Bridgeport, CT 06608-1646
St. John's Episcopal Church, 768 Fairfield Avenue, Bridgeport,
CT 06604
St. Lukes/St. Paul's, 594 Kossuth Street, Bridgeport,
CT 06608
St. Stephen's Emergency Food Pantry, 43 Madison
Avenue, Bridgeport, CT 06604
Sterling House Pantry, 2283 Main
Street, Stratford, CT 6615
Thomas Merton Center, 43 Madison
Avenue, Bridgeport, CT 06604
Trumbull Social Services, Christ
Church, Tashua Food Pantry, 23 Priscilla Place, Trumbull, CT 06611
Turner's Faith Temple, 360 Colorado Avenue, Bridgeport, CT
06605
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