nothin Police Substations Sprout Food Pantries | New Haven Independent

Police Substations Sprout Food Pantries

Allan Appel Photo

Bronson and Vieira in front of the pantries.

Rick Vieira and Paul Bronson stood in front of the empty, gleaming storage cabinets that have recently been installed at the Fair Haven police substation on Blatchley Avenue.

In a few months, they said, the cabinets will be empty no longer, but filled with, for starters, non-perishable food to distribute to up to 150 Fair Haven families in need.

Vieira and Bronson, the executive pastor and outreach coordinator of the Vertical Church , made the announcement at the substation at the most recent monthly Thursday night meeting of the Fair Haven Management Team.

The new cabinetry was put in by the city two weeks ago. A dedicated computer and printer were installed, too. The computers will provide, on request, a list of food pantries in the area, along with health and other services for clients coming to the pantry, which is expected to be open one day a month beginning in May.

Genesis Vicente, the food system administrator of CitySeed, said that Fair Haven’s pantry is one of about a half dozen opening at substations across the city to fill in food deserts.” In an initiative begun by city government’s Community Services Administration (CSA) and led by former city food policy chief Joy Johannes, the map of the city’s pantries and soup kitchens was reviewed to chart where under-served areas might still be in need of assistance.

Those areas lined up with the overlay of the police substations, Vicente said. With the city building the cabinets and providing a dedicated computer and printer, volunteer groups, both faith based and non-faith-based, have been recruited to organize the individual efforts.

In the absence of city staff to lead the way — Johannes’s job is not yet filled and new CSA chief Dakibu Muley has just come aboard — Vicente, of City Seed, has been the point person linking partnering groups with the Connecticut Food Bank. He has helped groups like Vertical Church to fill out the forms, obtain permissions, and get started.

Longest running of the substation-based pantries is one at Hill South substation at 410 Howard Ave. It’s organized by New Haven Inner City Enrichment Center (NICE) and operates the last Saturday of every month. A year old, it serves 60 families, said chief organizer Jamilah Rasheed. The Dixwell substation pantry, organized by a group called Women of the Village, opened last week. Fair Haven’s is scheduled to open in May.

Also on the drawing board and at various stages of organization is the Hill North substation pantry, to be run by the congregants of the Thomas Street Chapel. Newhallville’s substation on Winchester Avenue is being staffed by members of the Breakthrough Church and Life Kingdom Ministries in that area. The Edgewood substation is pending, as is a pantry in Westville, to be staffed by a group called Reach the Nations,” according to Vicente.

Each location is different. Fair Haven, for example, has many Hispanic families whose food preferences differ from populations in other areas. The Hill South pantry is the template and model, the place Vicente sends prospective organizers to see how it’s done, she added.

Why a West Haven church operating in Fair Haven? Of the approximately 2,000 families who belong to the church, half are New Havners, said Bronson. They suggested to church leaders that the church might perform some good works in the Elm City.

Fair Haven Management Team co-chairs Diane Ecton and David Steinhardt.

Bronson and Vieira asked Fair Haveners what patrons might want to see in the food bags to be distributed. Participants were not shy with their answers

Rice and beans is cool, but vegetables are better,” a voice said from the back of the substation.

Lloyd Street resident Wayne McCrae endorsed the idea of more healthful alternatives. Another Fair Havener suggested that as the pantry would be open only one day a month, perhaps packed bags could be left to be distributed by the police officers to those who miss the open day.

Bronson and Vieira were open to all suggestions, except one. That was to consider moving the pantry over to the senior center on Atwater Street, where a free hot lunch is served every weekday to seniors and where a pantry years before had previously been established.

No, with the cabinets just put in, the pantry is definitely going to be starting at the substation, with a first day in May, Bronson affirmed.

For those interested in helping in this citywide effort, the contact is Genesis Vicente at CitySeed, at [email protected].

Tags:

Sign up for our morning newsletter

Don't want to miss a single Independent article? Sign up for our daily email newsletter! Click here for more info.


Post a Comment

Commenting has closed for this entry

Comments

Avatar for Scamp

Avatar for THREEFIFTHS