January 17, 2011

POLITICIANS SERVE IT UP FOR CHARITY

By Michelle Firestone, Windham Today Correspondent

Residents who ate dinner at Fred’s Brickhouse Café in Willimantic Sunday might have been surprised to see a familiar face greeting and serving them.

A fundraiser organized by the Windham Democratic Town Committee on behalf of the Windham No Freeze Hospitality Center brought local and state politicians to Willimantic to serve food and greet residents at the local eatery, located in the Price Rite shopping plaza.

On Sunday, folks dining were greeted by Connecticut’s newest senator, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., as well as local and state leaders.

All of the tips made by servers went to the shelter at 1110 Main St., a facility that opened in 2003 and provides shelter, food and various toiletry items to those in financial need.

No Freeze Executive Director Leigh Duffy said more than $1,500 in tips was donated to the shelter from Sunday’s event.

“It’s (the shelter) the ultimate safety net for people in this area,” said U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, who was at the event but was not a waiter. “People with nowhere else to go are protected by the elements in this program.”

Courtney was joined by State Comptroller Kevin Lembo, Blumenthal, State Rep. Susan Johnson, D-Willimantic, Windham Mayor Ernest Eldridge and Susan Eastwood, who recently ran unsuccessfully against State Sen. Tony Guglielmo, R-Stafford Springs.

Of those individuals, only Johnson, Eldridge and Eastwood served food at the event.

“It takes me back to the days when I used to wait tables,” Johnson said.

Duffy said the shelter doesn’t get any funding from the State, making it important to hold fundraisers like the one on Sunday to keep it running.

“It’s a very good local cause,” Duffy said. “It’s nice to have politicians come together.”

A brochure about the program states the shelter has served more than 1,000 Windham County residents since opening seven years ago.

The shelter is open November through April each year from 8 p.m. until 8 a.m. and office hours are Monday through Friday from 1 to 4 p.m.

Its aim is to keep folks off the streets when the weather get dangerously cold.

Blumenthal and other politicians expressed the importance of fundraisers like this at a time when the economy is unstable and more and more people are losing their jobs.

“It’s a cause that benefits people who are most vulnerable,” Blumenthal said.

“A lot of people are struggling who even have homes,” Eldridge said. “It’s not getting any better.”

Blumenthal, a regular marcher in the Willimantic Boom Box Parade, a local Fourth of July celebration, said he loves coming to events in Willimantic and came all the way from the Stamford/Greenwich area to support the cause.

Blumenthal said he was touched by the number of people who had come out to support the shelter Sunday.

“A picture’s worth a thousand words,” Blumenthal said. “That picture is worth a thousand words.”

Many locals from towns outside of Willimantic, including Storrs, Ashford and Lebanon, were among those attending the event.

Two individuals enjoying dinner were Jeremy Haddad and Joe Haddad of Storrs, Duffy’s sons. The two were sharing a meal with Barry Boyle, president of the Windham branch of Habitat for Humanity.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been to a fundraiser like this,” said Joe Haddad, who enjoyed a Veginator sandwich Sunday.

Tom Pawlowski of Lebanon, a good friend of Fred’s Brickhouse owner Fred Sinclair, agreed with Haddad.

“It’s a unique idea for a fundraiser,” Pawlowski said. “It mirrors what they should be doing (as politicians).”

Like Jeremy Haddad, Loretta Wrobel of Ashford had also ordered a Veginator.

Wrobel said she has never lived in Willimantic, but considers it her “adopted city.”

“I think Willimantic is a very exciting city,” Wrobel said, noting that events and businesses like Cafemantic in the city are helping the Thread City come “into its own.”

Windham Democratic Town Committee Chairman Dawn Niles said the committee holds a fundraiser for the shelter every year, but this year it introduced the concept of having politicians serve food to the people.

“The idea is that the politicians will generate more tips than people would normally do,” Duffy said.

Duffy acknowledged that the number of homeless people has increased due to the tough economy.

In the past month, 65 people come through the shelter, an increase of about 7 percent from this time last year, Duffy said.

“I’m surprised it’s that little (of an increase),” Eldridge said.

Lembo said he was “struck by” the number of people who are now getting food from the food pantries who once served at them.

Lembo said it is important for him and the other politicians to prioritize with minimal public funding.

“We need to focus our resources in a way that helps the community,” Lembo said.

At this time, the shelter needs a variety of items, including paper towels, toilet paper, shower shoes, pillows and ear plugs.

Ongoing needs include the following items: sweatpants, shaving cream, gift cards to local food venues, plastic utensils and laundry detergent.

Those interested in donating can send contributions to the Windham No Freeze Project, P.O. Box 46, Willimantic 06226. For more information, call the shelter office at (860) 450-1346.