Contributed photo
DESK volunteers and staff prepare food pantry bags for walk-up guests and delivery.
The Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen (DESK) won a $5,000 grant as part of the Liberty Bank Foundation’s awarding of $25,000 in support to state nonprofit agencies for providing food to those in need during the pandemic.
The Liberty Bank Foundation announced that grant in an email press release sent out Tuesday morning.
The release applauded DESK for working with more than 100 volunteers to deliver groceries to over 1,100 households through its Pantry-to-Pantry program.
“Before the crisis, people on the street would typically access food from a variety of resources, including cafes, social services, and other food assistance organizations,” DESK Executive Director Steve Werlin is quoted as saying in the release. “However, as the pandemic has forced closures across the city and limited mainstream services, we’ve seen an increased reliance on our dinner program.”
Click here and here for previous stories about DESK’s work during the pandemic, and see below for the full press release from Liberty Bank Foundation.
LIBERTY BANK FOUNDATION AWARDS $25,000 in GRANTS TO SUPPORT FOOD NEEDS RELATED TO PANDEMIC
NEW HAVEN, CT – The Liberty Bank Foundation has awarded $25,000 in grants to five nonprofit agencies providing food to people in need in local communities. The grants were made to address unexpected costs generated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
One of the grant recipients was the Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen (DESK) in New Haven. DESK has responded actively to the needs of the pandemic, partnering with other food agencies to develop and launch a new program called Pantry-to-Pantry to ensure that those who were immunocompromised and should not be leaving their homes would have the food they needed. Today, more than 100 volunteers deliver groceries to over 1,100 households. In addition, DESK’s dinner program has seen a steep increase in the number of meals served and the frequency with which people living on the street are accessing meals from DESK.
“Before the crisis, people on the street would typically access food from a variety of resources, including cafes, social services, and other food assistance organizations,” said Steve Werlin, executive director of DESK. “However, as the pandemic has forced closures across the city and limited mainstream services, we’ve seen an increased reliance on our dinner program.” He added that his agency is now working closely with its partners and public officials to strategize on how to keep those who are most vulnerable safe and healthy through the coming winter months — and a potential second wave of COVID.
“The pandemic and the resulting economic shutdown have caused many new households to turn to nonprofits for help with food, housing, and other basic needs,” said Sue Murphy, executive director of the Liberty Bank Foundation. “It’s been inspirational to see local agencies like DESK step up to meet the increased demand for services, while struggling with staff reductions, revenue losses, and the same health concerns we all are facing. Their staff and volunteers are among the many heroes who have been revealed during this pandemic.”
Other agencies receiving emergency food grants included the Master’s Manna in Wallingford, Hands on Hartford, Shoreline Soup Kitchens in Middlesex County, and St. Vincent De Paul Place Norwich. For a complete list of Liberty’s COVID-19 Emergency Response Grants, visit https://LibertyBankFoundation.org/grants/COVID-19/.
“We’re continuing to monitor community needs and the activities of our nonprofit partners to determine where we can best leverage our funding to benefit our neighbors,” said Murphy. “Our grantmaking is part of Liberty Bank’s comprehensive response to the pandemic, addressing the needs of bank customers, employees, businesses, nonprofits, and the community as a whole.”
Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen (DESK) was founded in the 1980s as a response to the unexpected re-emergence of homelessness on the streets of urban America. Today, DESK serves over 4,000 people who are experiencing homelessness or living in poverty by providing food assistance and services that promote health, community, and equity. Its corps of more than 2,000 volunteers works with a professional staff to ensure that guests are served with respect, dignity, and empathy, all toward the goal of creating a stronger community and empowering people to live better lives.
Since its inception in 1997, the Liberty Bank Foundation has awarded over $13.7 million in grants to nonprofit organizations within Liberty Bank’s market area. The foundation seeks to improve the quality of life for people of low or moderate income by investing in three areas: education to promote economic success for children and families; affordable housing and ending homelessness; and nonprofit capacity building. Along with its grantmaking, the foundation strives to foster the convening and collaboration of nonprofits, funders, business, and government to address community issues.
Established in 1825, Liberty Bank is Connecticut’s oldest bank, with $6.0 billion in assets and 60 banking offices throughout the central, eastern, and shoreline areas of the state. As a full-service financial institution, Liberty offers consumer and commercial banking, home mortgages, insurance, and investment services. Named ‘Top Workplace’ by the Hartford Courant for eight consecutive years, Liberty maintains a longstanding commitment to superior personal service and unparalleled community involvement. www.liberty-bank.com.
Soup kitchens, food banks, meals on wheels, diaper banks, period product banks are going to be invaluable to help people survive through the pandemic and its economic fallout. Many people who never dreamed they would be out of work are now struggling. The job options available are relatively few, and most of the companies that allow employees to work from home jobs and healthcare jobs require degrees or certifications. For the average essential/front line workers, this catastrophe of job losses will probably seem less like a recession than a Great Depression, and the food support organizations and personal hygiene support organizations will be a lifeline for survival for years to come. Any company or individual who is wealthy enough to donate to these worthy causes will help thousands if not millions of people to get through this terrible time.