Health Fair Food Drive Aims To Restock Pantry’s Empty Shelves

By John Voket

Social Services Director Ann Piccini looks at the last few cans of pork and beans on the nearly empty shelves at Newtown’s Salvation Army food pantry hoping that this weekend’s food drive at the annual Newtown Health Fair will bring enough donations to supplement the hungry residents who come to her for help.

“This is one of the worst September’s I’ve ever seen,” Ms Piccini told The Newtown Bee. “Stocks are very low. I’m not out yet, but I hate to have to turn people away. It’s hard enough for some to come out and ask for a little help to get them through.”

 Whatever food donations come in to the health fair, scheduled from 10 am to 2 pm at the middle school on Saturday, will have to tide the local pantry over until the expected holiday season outpouring begins rolling in after Halloween.

Co-chair and Health District Director Donna Culbert said that when people think of supporting good public health, they do not often think of hunger as an issue, especially in Newtown.

“But this shortage of food in the local pantry is proof that more people are in need of that basic sustenance, and more people have less to offer to their Newtown neighbors these days,” Ms Culbert said. “That’s why the food drive will be among the most important aspects of this year’s health fair.”

Ms Piccini said the most needed items needed for the local pantry are canned or prepackaged fruit, canned pasta meals, stew, chili, beans, cereals, and other easy to prepare items like peanut butter and jelly, pasta and sauce.

“Some of my people can go two or three days on one large can of Chef Boyardee,” Ms Piccini said.

Ms Culbert also said that there will be other great opportunities to impact public health at this weekend’s event, including a prescription drug take-back program sponsored in partnership with the Newtown Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

In addition, Newtown’s K-9 Baro will be on hand to provide the “always popular demonstration of his crime-solving skills,” Ms Culbert added, along with a police-sponsored table featuring DARE and community safety information.

Among the first time add-ons this year will be glucose screening to complement the cholesterol screenings that have been a staple in years past. Ms Culbert is hopeful that this new opportunity will attract enough residents so she can use the data to help get those individuals the help they need to manage and reduce their high glucose conditions.

“We really need to work on cardiovascular health in this community,” Ms Culbert said. “Especially issues that are complicated or enhanced by high cholesterol.”

Ms Culbert said that individuals showing higher than average glucose or cholesterol readings will be offered literature, and if desired, will be invited to participate in planned outreach and educational offerings in the coming months.

“I’m hoping to involve a number of health care professionals in the community for this ongoing heart health self-care program,” she said.

Also new to the health fair will be representatives of the regional YMCA in Brookfield, the Newtown Sustainable Energy Commission, and American Home Radon Services, which can help educate and equip homeowners to test for and mitigate radon if discovered.

Everything at the health fair is free, there will be hourly drawings, and demonstrations inside and out featuring Newtown emergency services and others. Back again this year will be an expanded live animal exhibit — the mini dairy farm. In its 17th year, the health fair will include more than 70 exhibitors all told, Ms Culbert said, and it remains the single largest event of its kind in town.