PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID ENFIELD, CT PERMIT 8 119B POST ROAD ENFIELD, CT 06082 ANNUAL REPORT 2014 - 2015 WWW.ERFC.US Follow us on Facebook.com/ERfC1994 ERfC Out-of-School Time Centers Enfield Street School-Age Center Includes Parkman Students (K-5) 1318 Enfield Street, Enfield, CT Hazardville Memorial School-Age Center Includes Eli Whitney Students (K-5) 68 North Maple Street, Enfield, CT Henry Barnard School-Age Center Includes Crandall Students (K-5) 27 Shaker Road, Enfield, CT ERfC 2014-2015 Board of Directors President– Rev. Peter Bushnell Secretary—Melissa Giambra Treasurer—Marilyn Bertrand Barbara Benson Brian Jacobson Heidi DeLisle Maya Matthews Lisa Ellis Rebecca Wilson Ronald Gregory Patricia Wrice Director-Emeritus—John Adams, Esq. Advisory Team Judith Apruzzese-Desroches Michael Helechu Karen Jarmoc ERfC Administrative Staff Claire Hall, M.Ed. Executive Director Chuck Horner Paul Flebotte Business Manager Licensing & Volunteer Coordinator Debbie Lenn Office Assistant & Registrar Heather Linstad Management Development Officer Mya Coviello Marketing & Events Manager Ryan Obedzinski Community Outreach Coordinator Nathan Hale School-Age Center Includes Parkman, Eli Whitney & Crandall Students (K-5) 5 Taylor Road, Enfield, CT 06082 JFK After School Center Includes 6, 7, & 8th Grade Students 155 Raffia Road, Enfield, CT A donation of $500 helps to scholarship a child that receives free/reduced Scott Arthurs lunch in a School-Age Center for the entire school year Logistics Coordinator $250 provides two children an 8-week session of Afterschool Adventures Kelly Pietraroia OST Administrator & K-5 Curriculum Coordinator Melissa Lufkin OST Administrator & 6-8 Curriculum Coordinator Examples of what your generosity enables ERfC to do: OUR MISSION ERfC teams with kids, communities, schools, and families to grow resilient kids. Through innovative community collaborations, we help kids learn, reach their goals, and contribute to their communities. (sports, art, theater and writing) $175 supports a child for one week at Summer Escape Camp $125 provides literacy and activity materials for 10 kids and their families at Summer Lunch Bunch Please send your gift today in the enclosed envelope or click on the DONATION LINK on our website at www.erfc.us. Dear Friends, There’s so much going on at ERfC! We’re excited about new initiatives: offering family literacy activities during our popular Summer Lunch Bunch program, recruiting retired teachers to volunteer to help kids who need extra help after school, and expanding the number of activities in Afterschool Adventures. Frequently though, kids have needs that go beyond academics. We understand that some families have a tough time providing nutritious meals in the evening when their kids get home from school. While kids have access to school lunch, they may not have enough to eat the rest of the day. National initiatives to combat food insecurity have focused on increasing participation in after school meal programs. At our Hazardville SchoolAge Center, we started a supper club this past year. We also hope to pilot a year-round initiative, Healthy Meals Healthy Minds, to combat food insecurity. ERfC has seen the impact food insecurity has on our students: decreased ability to concentrate, high obesity rates, poor school attendance, and lower grades and test scores. We recently partnered with Enfield Food Shelf to design the Healthy Meals program so that children and families have the food they need to succeed in school and lead healthy lives. I’m sharing our news with you because we need your help. Many of the projects I’ve told you about are provided free of charge – our mission is to make sure all Enfield kids can thrive. We hope that when you receive this newsletter, you will say “yes” to a generous gift because you know how much Enfield kids need your support. Thank you for your continued support! Claire C. Hall Executive Director OUR COMMITMENT TO FAMILIES FINANCIAL DONATIONS Creating New Opportunities In Out-of-School Time INDIVIDUAL DONORS Colleen Allen Jonathan & Rosemary Avery Jacki Barden Julie Belniak Joanne Billow Lisa Bonner Joe and Cathy Brown Linda Burnell Rev. Peter & Kathryn Bushnell Suzanne Butryman Judith Catania Steven & Michelle Catania Melinda Cekala Michael & Linda Condon Courtney Cooper Shirley Coviello Annalisa Deal Heidi Delisle Dan Deroches & Judy Apruzzese-Desroches Henry & Sandra Dutcher Lisa Ellis Gerald & Kathryn Fawthrop Sandra Fitzgerald Andrew & Sandra Fournier Melissa Giambra Rick & Claire Hall William C. Harmon Michael & Dora Helechu Chris & Mary Howland Barbara Irish Stephen & Karen Jarmoc Candace Kearney Bill & Karen Kennedy John & Mary Ellen Killeen Charles & Roberta Ladd William C. Leary Roger & Mary LeBlanc Marjorie Lindstad Bonnie Mazzoli Amy Morales Desiree Murphy Bethany Ouellette Polly Chapman Parker Patricia Ann Penney Bill and Jan Petrone Francis Rago, Jr. Virginia Riggs-Lyons Jennifer Scioscio Ed & Lois Sharpless Nicholas & Jeanne Sinsigalli David & JoAnn Sopelak Rob & Vicky Stacey Maryalice & John Sullivan Stacy Thurston Arlene Tyszkiewicz James Watton BUSINESSES AND CORPORATIONS A.W. Hastings & Co. Amazon Smile American Eagle Federal Credit Union Ampersand Consulting Artioli Chrysler Dodge Ram Bearingstar Insurance Browne Memorial Chapels C&S Wholesale Grocers Carillo & Howland, Inc. Conval, Inc. Easy Pickin’s Orchard Enfield Tennis Club Fallon Law Office LLC Guarino Homes LLC Hallmark Card, Inc. Ideal Flexibility MassMutual Financial Group Mercik & Bolduc, LLC Miller Family Farms Ronald McDonald House ShopRite of Enfield Smyth’s Ice Cream Sparkle Services, Inc. The Jarrett Agency USA Hauling & Recycling, Inc. William Laboratories, Inc. COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS 2 Moms on a Mission AFSCME Local 1029 Bay Path College Psi Chi Honors Society Employees of Alstom Power Company Employees of UPS Enfield Congregational Church Enfield Republican Town Committee Enfield Rotary Club Henry Barnard School PTO Holy Trinity Episcopal Church Holy Trinity Kids Care Program Prudence Crandall School PTO Society of St. Vincent de Paul / Holy Family Church St. Patrick Church The Woman’s Club of Enfield United Methodist Church of Enfield FOUNDATIONS AND PUBLIC SUPPORT Brooks Brother’s Golden Fleece Foundation Connecticut Department of Education Cox Charities New England Feinstein Hunger Relief Hartford Foundation for Public United Bank Foundation-CT Giving United Way of Greater The Fund for Greater Hartford Philadelphia & South New The Long Family Charitable Jersey Foundation United Way of Central & The Town of Enfield Northeastern Connecticut SPECIAL DONATIONS & CONTRIBUTIONS Amy Romano Memorial Fund Connecticut Department of Agriculture East Coast Dance & Fitness Enfield Fire Departments Enfield Police Dept. K9 Unit Enfield Transitional Learning Academy Rhonda Dekreon in memory of Barbara Goss Mayor Scott Kaupin Noreen Sullivan Memorial Fund Representative David Kiner Sheila Rivest in memory of Carol Rivest When out-of-school time programs reach out to and engage families, everyone stands to benefit—students, family members, programs, communities, and schools. 2014-2015 Out-of-School Time Accomplishments —Expanding Minds and Opportunities 256 students were enrolled in our five School-Age Centers. Summer Escape provided seven weeks of full-day camp for 179 kids in grades 1-8. ERfC provided Financial Assistance to 57% during the schoolyear and 52% during the summer. 2,711 free lunches were provided to kids and 589 to parents during Summer Lunch Bunch. 457 parents and children participated in Family Engagement Activities in partnership with Enfield schools. 65% of students enrolled in JFK After School Increased their grades in language arts, math and science; 97% completed their homework to teacher satisfaction. 75% of students enrolled in K-5 School-Age Centers increased their grades in language arts, math and science; 99% completed their homework to teacher satisfaction. ERfC showed a commitment to delivering high-quality programming and services. This resulted in expanded participation by reaching more children, and ensuring that they attend the SchoolAge Centers and summer programs often. 72% of the children enrolled attended 60 or more days during the 2014-2015 school year. This is a 21% increase in attendance over the 2013-2014 school year. KidZ Write in Afterschool Adventures Keeping with ERfC’s goal of providing expanded learning opportunities after school for Enfield kids, students in grades 1-5 produced, illustrated, and published several books during the school year. Working with published author J. Monkeys, students learned about parts of a story, character development, and how to set scenes that make sense in the story. As a group, the kids determined the theme of the story, decided on the characters, their personalities, and situations the characters would experience throughout the story. The published books, now available for purchase at Amazon.com include: “Stuck in Dreamland”, “Becky and the Magical Necklace, “The Bathtub Battle”, “Trouble at the Nasty T-Shirt Factory”, “From Emerald to Emerald” and “The Underground Queen’s Sunny Day”. Enfield Published Authors Thirty-two students in grades 1-5, enrolled in the Afterschool Adventure KidZ Write program, worked as a team with author J. Monkeys to write, edit, illustrate and publish six books in the school year. We offer activities designed to teach children about nutrition, encourage healthy life styles and increase physical activity. IN-KIND DONATIONS OF GOODS AND SERVICES BUSINESSES & ORGANIZATIONS INDIVIDUALS 2 Moms On A Mission Allied Community Services, Inc. American Eagle Federal Credit Union Angelina’s Restaurant A.W. Hastings & Co. A Salon Back East Brewery Big Y Foods, Inc. Bob’s Stores Bolton Valley Resort Carl’s Appliance Service Cheesecake Factory Common Grounds Community Garden Community Health Resources (CHR) C&S Wholesale Grocers Diageo North America Dick’s Sporting Goods Edgar H. Parkman School PTO Employees of A.W. Hastings & Co. Enfield Correctional Institution Print Shop Enfield Department of Social Services Enfield Family Resource Center Enfield Fire Dept.— District 1, Phoenix Ave. Enfield Food Shelf Enfield Hunger Action Team Enfield Loaves & Fishes Enfield Police Department Enfield Police Explorers Enfield Public Library Enfield Public Schools Enfield Street Elementary School -Faculty & Staff Enfield Tennis Club Firefly Hollow Brewing First Readers Association of Enfield Delores Ascioti Jacki Barden Marilyn Bertrand Lucien & Gina Bolduc Lisa Bonner Katrina A. Bores Linda Clark Heidi DeLisle Frank & Martha Dunn Lisa Ellis Linda Fagen Gerald & Kathryn Fawthrop Ralph Fiore Sandra Fitzgerald Lily Forton Laurie Garini Marianne Gougen Ron Gregory Rick & Claire Hall Carla Hansen Barbara Hargraves Amanda Hines Lise Holmes Michael Hubbard Elizabeth Hunt Ruth James Foodshare Four Corners Package Store Gouveia Vineyards Grassmere Country Club Guarino Homes LLC Hallmark Card, Inc. Harriet Beecher Stowe Center Hartford Wolfpack Hazardville Memorial Family Resource Center Henry Barnard Elementary School-Faculty & Staff Hill-Stead Museum Hot Table Panini Ideal Flexibility Infinity Music Hall & Bistro Jarmoc Farms J. Gilberts Woodfire Steaks & Seafood The Jug Shop KatArt Graphics King Ward Coach Lines LaPak Graphic Design LEGO Systems, Inc. MassMutual Mineral Hills Winery Ministries of Love and Hope Mohawk Mountain New Britain Museum of Am. Art New Britain Rock Cats New England Air Museum New England Sports Network Norman Rockwell Museum New York Giants Nutmeg State FCU Okemo Mountain Resort Once Upon a Child OtterBox Otis Ridge Ski Area Outerwall Redbox Parent Leadership Academy Pat’s Peak Ski Area Pellegrini Family People Empowering People Piemonte’s Eatery and Sweet Shoppe Plato’s Closet Powder Hollow Brewery Prudence Crandall School Faculty & Staff Rinaldi’s Restaurant Rotary Club of Enfield Samuel Adams Brewery Santa’s Village Scruples Boutique and Day Spa Season's Buffet at Mohegan Sun Shaker Farms Market Shear Perfection Barbershop Sherwin-Williams Springfield Falcons Staples Starbucks Coffee Company St. Bernard Church Parishioners St. Patrick Church St. Patrick Church Parishioners Stop and Shop Enfield ShopRite of Enfield -Miller Farms Family Markets Tastefully Simple The Buffalo Bills The Final Markdown The Network The New Children’s Museum The Wadsworth Atheneum The Wise Child The Yarde Tavern Thimble Island Brewing Company Thomas Hooker Brewing Company VOLUNTEERS The Amoabeng Family Judith ApruzzeseDesroches Alyssa Aresco Jacki Barden Marilyn Baziak James Bonner Dean Brodeur Pamela Brown, MSW The Coffey Family Andrey Ciccolella Lori Clavette, RDH Xavier & Jo-Lea Cotton Heidi DeLisle Patricia DelNegro Allyson Duffin Lisa Ellis Hannah Epstein Melissa Giambra Ron Gregory Rick Hall Barbara Hallak Alexis Hoehn Vincent Hoehn Danny Hurlburt Ben Ide Mary Ellen Killeen Catherine Kriss Mary Linehan Roger LeBlanc Susan Lusardi Dennis O’Toole Mary Pych Jessica & Ashley Reed Alice Riley Frank Salas Guadalupe Sanchez The Sanchez-Rocha Family Jeremy Santos Miguel Santos Irene Sawyer Mary Scutt Michelle SmithMattia, RD, CD-N Jennifer Stone Naomi Tshibangu Patricia Vayda, RN Olivia Veser Jack Wilcox Michele Wilcox Monica Wright If we’ve inadvertently omitted any name, business or organization, please let us know. Craig Janney & Karen Gowen Matthew & Kathy Miranda Stan Kozikowski & Cathy Moore Diane Keeley Leona Krzynowek Roger & Mary LeBlanc Heather Linstad Mike Masulo Matthew & Kathy Miranda Jody Ouellette JoAnne Renna Sandi Rook Mark & Janet Sheehan Gina Tercasio Richard Urian Jill Vetrone & Family Kevin & Kourtney Vujs Mabel Wages Walt Wojciehowski Tobacco Valley Teachers Federal Credit Union Total Wine & More United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut Villa Napoletana White Silo Farm & Winery Whole Foods Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Willimantic Brewing Company XL Center YWCA Hartford Region Summer Escape Campers Learn to Skate On the ice at Twin Rinks in Enfield, kids learned the fundamentals of skating during the hot summer days. Off the ice they learned the sport of hockey by shooting, passing and participating in games. Learning to Skate with the Hartford Wolf Pack mascot Sonar Dinner Club opens at the Hazardville School-Age Center ERfC INCOME & EXPENSE CHARTS In 2014-2015, ERfC piloted a new Dinner Club for students enrolled at the Hazardville Memorial School-Age Center. Hazardville Memorial School is the only school in Enfield that qualifies for this free program as over 50% of the students qualify for free/reduced school lunch. More than 36 students participated from April through June. Free USDA meals were provided daily by the CT Renewal Team in Hartford. The Supper Club will continue in the current school year. Making new friends . . . A Year in Review ERfC experienced rapid growth in 2014-2015, providing a range of out-of-school time (OST) learning opportunities for Enfield children. While we are continuously learning and evaluating our programs, we believe a coordinated approach with our families, the community, and our funders brought promise for building and sustaining improvements in our OST opportunities. ERfC receives United Way funding through the Community Investment choice. When you choose Community Investment you are supporting organizations like ours that are demonstrating measurable results changing people’s lives in our community. At this juncture in ERfC’s development, the year was focused on evaluating ERfC’s infrastructure and staffing with the goal of building a business model for sustained financial health. The fiscal year ending June 30 resulted in diversified revenue streams to strengthen the organization as it grows. OUR COMMITMENT TO FAMILIES FINANCIAL DONATIONS Creating New Opportunities In Out-of-School Time INDIVIDUAL DONORS Colleen Allen Jonathan & Rosemary Avery Jacki Barden Julie Belniak Joanne Billow Lisa Bonner Joe and Cathy Brown Linda Burnell Rev. Peter & Kathryn Bushnell Suzanne Butryman Judith Catania Steven & Michelle Catania Melinda Cekala Michael & Linda Condon Courtney Cooper Shirley Coviello Annalisa Deal Heidi Delisle Dan Deroches & Judy Apruzzese-Desroches Henry & Sandra Dutcher Lisa Ellis Gerald & Kathryn Fawthrop Sandra Fitzgerald Andrew & Sandra Fournier Melissa Giambra Rick & Claire Hall William C. Harmon Michael & Dora Helechu Chris & Mary Howland Barbara Irish Stephen & Karen Jarmoc Candace Kearney Bill & Karen Kennedy John & Mary Ellen Killeen Charles & Roberta Ladd William C. Leary Roger & Mary LeBlanc Marjorie Lindstad Bonnie Mazzoli Amy Morales Desiree Murphy Bethany Ouellette Polly Chapman Parker Patricia Ann Penney Bill and Jan Petrone Francis Rago, Jr. Virginia Riggs-Lyons Jennifer Scioscio Ed & Lois Sharpless Nicholas & Jeanne Sinsigalli David & JoAnn Sopelak Rob & Vicky Stacey Maryalice & John Sullivan Stacy Thurston Arlene Tyszkiewicz James Watton BUSINESSES AND CORPORATIONS A.W. Hastings & Co. Amazon Smile American Eagle Federal Credit Union Ampersand Consulting Artioli Chrysler Dodge Ram Bearingstar Insurance Browne Memorial Chapels C&S Wholesale Grocers Carillo & Howland, Inc. Conval, Inc. Easy Pickin’s Orchard Enfield Tennis Club Fallon Law Office LLC Guarino Homes LLC Hallmark Card, Inc. Ideal Flexibility MassMutual Financial Group Mercik & Bolduc, LLC Miller Family Farms Ronald McDonald House ShopRite of Enfield Smyth’s Ice Cream Sparkle Services, Inc. The Jarrett Agency USA Hauling & Recycling, Inc. William Laboratories, Inc. COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS 2 Moms on a Mission AFSCME Local 1029 Bay Path College Psi Chi Honors Society Employees of Alstom Power Company Employees of UPS Enfield Congregational Church Enfield Republican Town Committee Enfield Rotary Club Henry Barnard School PTO Holy Trinity Episcopal Church Holy Trinity Kids Care Program Prudence Crandall School PTO Society of St. Vincent de Paul / Holy Family Church St. Patrick Church The Woman’s Club of Enfield United Methodist Church of Enfield FOUNDATIONS AND PUBLIC SUPPORT Brooks Brother’s Golden Fleece Foundation Connecticut Department of Education Cox Charities New England Feinstein Hunger Relief Hartford Foundation for Public United Bank Foundation-CT Giving United Way of Greater The Fund for Greater Hartford Philadelphia & South New The Long Family Charitable Jersey Foundation United Way of Central & The Town of Enfield Northeastern Connecticut SPECIAL DONATIONS & CONTRIBUTIONS Amy Romano Memorial Fund Connecticut Department of Agriculture East Coast Dance & Fitness Enfield Fire Departments Enfield Police Dept. K9 Unit Enfield Transitional Learning Academy Rhonda Dekreon in memory of Barbara Goss Mayor Scott Kaupin Noreen Sullivan Memorial Fund Representative David Kiner Sheila Rivest in memory of Carol Rivest When out-of-school time programs reach out to and engage families, everyone stands to benefit—students, family members, programs, communities, and schools. 2014-2015 Out-of-School Time Accomplishments —Expanding Minds and Opportunities 256 students were enrolled in our five School-Age Centers. Summer Escape provided seven weeks of full-day camp for 179 kids in grades 1-8. ERfC provided Financial Assistance to 57% during the schoolyear and 52% during the summer. 2,711 free lunches were provided to kids and 589 to parents during Summer Lunch Bunch. 457 parents and children participated in Family Engagement Activities in partnership with Enfield schools. 65% of students enrolled in JFK After School Increased their grades in language arts, math and science; 97% completed their homework to teacher satisfaction. 75% of students enrolled in K-5 School-Age Centers increased their grades in language arts, math and science; 99% completed their homework to teacher satisfaction. ERfC showed a commitment to delivering high-quality programming and services. This resulted in expanded participation by reaching more children, and ensuring that they attend the SchoolAge Centers and summer programs often. 72% of the children enrolled attended 60 or more days during the 2014-2015 school year. This is a 21% increase in attendance over the 2013-2014 school year. KidZ Write in Afterschool Adventures Keeping with ERfC’s goal of providing expanded learning opportunities after school for Enfield kids, students in grades 1-5 produced, illustrated, and published several books during the school year. Working with published author J. Monkeys, students learned about parts of a story, character development, and how to set scenes that make sense in the story. As a group, the kids determined the theme of the story, decided on the characters, their personalities, and situations the characters would experience throughout the story. The published books, now available for purchase at Amazon.com include: “Stuck in Dreamland”, “Becky and the Magical Necklace, “The Bathtub Battle”, “Trouble at the Nasty T-Shirt Factory”, “From Emerald to Emerald” and “The Underground Queen’s Sunny Day”. Enfield Published Authors Thirty-two students in grades 1-5, enrolled in the Afterschool Adventure KidZ Write program, worked as a team with author J. Monkeys to write, edit, illustrate and publish six books in the school year. We offer activities designed to teach children about nutrition, encourage healthy life styles and increase physical activity. PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID ENFIELD, CT PERMIT 8 119B POST ROAD ENFIELD, CT 06082 ANNUAL REPORT 2014 - 2015 WWW.ERFC.US Follow us on Facebook.com/ERfC1994 ERfC Out-of-School Time Centers Enfield Street School-Age Center Includes Parkman Students (K-5) 1318 Enfield Street, Enfield, CT Hazardville Memorial School-Age Center Includes Eli Whitney Students (K-5) 68 North Maple Street, Enfield, CT Henry Barnard School-Age Center Includes Crandall Students (K-5) 27 Shaker Road, Enfield, CT ERfC 2014-2015 Board of Directors President– Rev. Peter Bushnell Secretary—Melissa Giambra Treasurer—Marilyn Bertrand Barbara Benson Brian Jacobson Heidi DeLisle Maya Matthews Lisa Ellis Rebecca Wilson Ronald Gregory Patricia Wrice Director-Emeritus—John Adams, Esq. Advisory Team Judith Apruzzese-Desroches Michael Helechu Karen Jarmoc ERfC Administrative Staff Claire Hall, M.Ed. Executive Director Chuck Horner Paul Flebotte Business Manager Licensing & Volunteer Coordinator Debbie Lenn Office Assistant & Registrar Heather Linstad Management Development Officer Mya Coviello Marketing & Events Manager Ryan Obedzinski Community Outreach Coordinator Nathan Hale School-Age Center Includes Parkman, Eli Whitney & Crandall Students (K-5) 5 Taylor Road, Enfield, CT 06082 JFK After School Center Includes 6, 7, & 8th Grade Students 155 Raffia Road, Enfield, CT A donation of $500 helps to scholarship a child that receives free/reduced Scott Arthurs lunch in a School-Age Center for the entire school year Logistics Coordinator $250 provides two children an 8-week session of Afterschool Adventures Kelly Pietraroia OST Administrator & K-5 Curriculum Coordinator Melissa Lufkin OST Administrator & 6-8 Curriculum Coordinator Examples of what your generosity enables ERfC to do: OUR MISSION ERfC teams with kids, communities, schools, and families to grow resilient kids. Through innovative community collaborations, we help kids learn, reach their goals, and contribute to their communities. (sports, art, theater and writing) $175 supports a child for one week at Summer Escape Camp $125 provides literacy and activity materials for 10 kids and their families at Summer Lunch Bunch Please send your gift today in the enclosed envelope or click on the DONATION LINK on our website at www.erfc.us. Dear Friends, There’s so much going on at ERfC! We’re excited about new initiatives: offering family literacy activities during our popular Summer Lunch Bunch program, recruiting retired teachers to volunteer to help kids who need extra help after school, and expanding the number of activities in Afterschool Adventures. Frequently though, kids have needs that go beyond academics. We understand that some families have a tough time providing nutritious meals in the evening when their kids get home from school. While kids have access to school lunch, they may not have enough to eat the rest of the day. National initiatives to combat food insecurity have focused on increasing participation in after school meal programs. At our Hazardville SchoolAge Center, we started a supper club this past year. We also hope to pilot a year-round initiative, Healthy Meals Healthy Minds, to combat food insecurity. ERfC has seen the impact food insecurity has on our students: decreased ability to concentrate, high obesity rates, poor school attendance, and lower grades and test scores. We recently partnered with Enfield Food Shelf to design the Healthy Meals program so that children and families have the food they need to succeed in school and lead healthy lives. I’m sharing our news with you because we need your help. Many of the projects I’ve told you about are provided free of charge – our mission is to make sure all Enfield kids can thrive. We hope that when you receive this newsletter, you will say “yes” to a generous gift because you know how much Enfield kids need your support. Thank you for your continued support! Claire C. Hall Executive Director