2013 YEAR IN REVIEW & UPCOMING EVENTS

The Community Center in East Fairfield continues to serve as a hub for the region, feeding families through the Food Shelf, providing hot meals for Seniors, giving children a place to learn and grow socially during out-of-school hours, and hosting community-wide events for the enjoyment of everyone in our region – young and old!

Our Tuesday Community Lunches are going strong with an average of 35 seniors in attendance every week. Meals continue to be healthy and delicious under the expert organization and skill of our chef, Jennifer McAllister.  We’re grateful for the help of our volunteers, Mary, Ovitt, Bill Kittell, Jane Williams, Grant Weir, Jane Dobrowolski and Deb Lynch who set tables, serve, and wash dishes each week. Thanks to a grant from The Tarrant Foundation, our seniors have been enjoying special programming after lunch including musical events, health and wellness presentations, Armchair Travel Adventures and informal card parties. Our “Senior Clubhouse” is coming together nicely and will be open on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons till 4 p.m. for movies, board games, art projects and more! A reminder that these meals are open to everyone, regardless of age, or residency.  
A suggested donation of just $4 is requested for folks over 60, and $6 for everyone else. Please call 827-3130 and let us know if you’d like to join us!

The Food Shelf also maintains a solid place in our immediate - as well as the broader - community. In 2013 we served approximately 1700 individuals and contributed to over 1500 meals to seniors at the mealsite. In November, we put together and distributed 112 Thanksgiving baskets, ensuring a healthy and festive holiday meal for over 500 people. Many thanks to everyone who kept our Food Shelf going this past year: Ann Blanchard, Linda Krygier, Brian Jerose, Susan Casavant Magnan, Jane Dobrowolski, Ann Middlestadt, and Jenn McAllister, Bob Provasi and the Vermont Food Bank. Thanks to the churches, schools and individuals who donated food and money, to Charon and Marshall True who make monthly trips to Wolcott to pick up food at the Manosh branch of the Vt. Foodbank, to all the gardeners who supplied us with fresh vegetables last summer, and to everyone who donated food and help with the Thanksgiving Basket Project.

8 weeks of Black Creek Adventure Camp this past summer was enthusiastically attended by over 75 kids from Fairfield and Bakersfield, and over 30 children registered for last winter’s Kids-in-the-Kitchen cooking classes. These programs  - as well as expanded after school adventures in collaboration with the Bent Northrop Memorial Library - will be offered to students from Fairfield and Bakersfield again this year starting with the first session of Kids-in-the-Kitchen on January 9, 2014.  And we’re hopeful that Teen Movie Nights at the Center will be starting soon! Heartfelt thanks go out to over 50 local supporters of these programs who donated their time and talent to enrich the lives of our kids this past year. 

A testament to our solid dedication to meeting the needs of our community and providing meaningful and unique opportunities to its residents, is the financial support we’ve received this past year from the Vermont Community Foundation, the Tarrant Foundation, The Franklin Grand Isle United Way, the Vt. Department of Buildings and General Services, the New England Grassroots Fund, and the Preservation Trust of Vermont. Grants and fundraising account for approximately half of our budget. The rest comes from towns' appropriations, program-generated income and generous donations from individuals and local businesses.

It is our hope that our numbers will grow and that folks will recognize both the value and the potential of The Community Center in the upcoming months. We invite you to call or stop by soon and discover how you can become part of this important community asset.  827-3130

Thank you and Happy New Year from The Community Center Board of Directors (Jane Williams, Rachel Huff, Denise Kellner, Deb Paradee, Jane Dobrowolski, & Miles Herbert), and the Center’s Director (Nance Shaw) 

UPCOMING EVENTS AT THE CENTER!

KIDS-IN-THE-KITCHEN - Thursdays, from 3:30 - 5 p.m. for 7 weeks beginning THURSDAY, JANUARY 9th. Fairfield kids can ride the bus down to the Center. Now registering! Please email sweetrosetta@mac.com, or call 827-3130.

January 9th - KITK, Basics for Boys with Chef Michele. This class is now open to everyone, boys OR girls! Yippee, let's make gooey grilled cheese sandwiches, and scrumptious scrambled eggs! 

FCCA ANNUAL PUBLIC MEETING - Thursday, January 9th at 6 p.m. starting out with a potluck meal. Join us! Open to everyone.

Tuesday, January 14, An after lunch special event with guitarist/singer SERGIO TORRES. Concert begins right after lunch, approximately 12:30. Open to all, come for lunch!

Thursday, January 16 - KITK 3:30-5, Bread-making with Chefs Nance and Jane

Tuesday, January 21st - NMC's pharmacist John Chesarek will give a presentation following lunch at 12:30 ~ DRUGS: How do they know where to go? 

Ever wonder how that Tylenol knows you've got a headache?

January 23 - KITK: Albondigas! Whacky meatballs just for kids with Chef Connie!

January 30 - KITK - PASTA POWER! Homemade noodles are fun and easy, 
with Chef Rachel.