Bloomin’ 4 Good Bouquets benefit JFS Food Pantry in June

Starting June 1st, Stop and Shop, Amity (located at 150 Amity Road in New Haven), will donate $1 to the JFS Food Pantry for every $11.99 Bloomin’ 4 Good Bouquet  purchased.  Add a bit of color to a graduation gathering, a picnic, a Father’s Day lunch or just to brighten up a room.  Each purchase of a Bloomin’4 Good Bouquet will also help the JFS Food Pantry feed the hungry in our local community! The Bloomin’ 4 Good Bouquets are located in the floral section of the store or you may ask the Amity Stop & Shop Florist for assistance.

Celebrating 100 Remarkable Years: Meet Ruth

🎉

Born in Amsterdam in 1925, Ruth’s life is a powerful testament to resilience and courage. During World War II, she bravely escaped a concentration camp—by bicycle. Her handwritten memoirs, a deeply personal account of survival and strength, have been submitted to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in D.C.

Thanks to support from the Claims Conference (Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany) , Ruth continues to live independently in her own home, receiving the care and services she needs.

📸 Pictured here with Ruth is Amanda Skelton, our dedicated Holocaust Survivors Case Manager. To honor this incredible milestone, JFS presented Ruth with a Centennial Award, recognizing her enduring spirit and extraordinary life.

Ruth, your story inspires us all. 💙

Happy 100th Birthday!

May Pantry Collection Focuses on Summer Items

Although Summer officially begins on June 20st, May offers many opportunities prior to the official date to join in outside festivities.  May is a great time to collect traditional picnic items leading up to Memorial Day and the warmer weather.  The JFS Food Pantry is collecting items such as mustard (yellow and spicy); BBQ sauce, hot sauce, relish; baked beans, canned sauerkraut, canned beets, canned corn, canned potatoes, small bottles of white vinegar, and salad dressing.  Help our Pantry visitors celebrate the warmer weather with these common condiments and picnic accompaniments.  Our non-food collection item for May is deodorant (Women’s and men’s) .

Donations can be dropped off at the JFS Food Pantry, 1440 Whalley Avenue, New Haven on Wednesdays and Thursdays between 8:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. or you can call (203) 397-0796 to schedule an alternative time and day (we are very flexible). If you would like to drop off a large donation or would like to conduct a food drive for these items, please let us know. Questions can be directed to shagan@jfsnh.org

Cereal Collection in March for National Nutrition Month

March is National Nutrition Month! This month the JFS Food Pantry is focusing on nutritious, healthy cereal donations. In order to provide every family with one box of cereal the Pantry would need at least 250 boxes monthly! Here are several tips to help you choose healthy cereals for your pantry donation.

Look for cereals containing whole grains. These are a good source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Examples include oatmeal, whole wheat flakes, and brown rice cereal. Look for cereals with less than 5 grams of sugar and 1 gram of fat per serving. Many cereals are fortified with essential vitamins and minerals, such as iron, folate, and B vitamins. Individually or combined, these ingredients can help provide valuable nutrition. Donations can be dropped off at the Pantry (1440 Whalley Avenue, New Haven) Wednesday and Thursdays between 8:15 -1. If you need a different time or day, contact us at shagan@jfsnh.org. Photo by Nyana Stoica/unsplash

February Food Collection for National Canned Food Month

February is National Canned Food Month and the JFS Food Pantry is collecting all varieties of canned food.  Not sure about what to donate, here is a list of what our Pantry visitors frequently ask for:

Canned Fruit (peaches, pineapple, oranges, pears, tropical fruit, cranberry sauce)

Canned Vegetables (green peas, pigeon peas, creamed corn, carrots, potatoes (sliced, diced, whole), sauerkraut, beets

Canned Beans (kidney, white kidney/cannellini, chick peas, pink  beans, small red beans, navy beans, chili beans); organic beans

Canned Tomato products (whole tomatoes, puree, crushed, tomato paste, tomato sauce); organic tomato products

Canned soups (all varieties and types); organic soups

Drop off Monday – Thursday from 9-3 at the JFS Food Pantry, 1440 Whalley Avenue in New Haven.  For more information please call the Pantry at 203-397-0796 or email. 

Aging Adult Continuing Education Group

The JFS Aging Adult Services program is excited to announce an ongoing continuing education class at the JCC, featuring several guest speakers who are new to our community! We invite you to stop by, say hello, and feel free to bring a friend. This group is FREE and no reservation is required. Whether you come to get your questions answered by an Aging Life Care Manager or to join a supportive discussion with fellow participants from the Aging Mastery Program, we believe we thrive when we come together. Our collaborative efforts have addressed numerous questions, and we are eager to keep these vital conversations flowing!

High Holiday Food Donation Guidelines

With the High Holiday upon us, we would like to remind donors about our non-perishable foods donation guidelines.

All food should be newly purchased. 

Please avoid oversized containers and packaging (such as 5 or 10 lbs. bags of rice).

Please avoid glass containers which can break in transport or during processing. 

All items should be checked to verify they are not past their use by or expiration date. We do not accept any expired food. 

For health and safety reasons, we cannot accept any open containers, boxes or repackaged items.

Here are the most requested foods: 

Canned beans (red, pink, black eyed peas, cannellini, lentils, pigeon peas, butter beans, roman beans)

Cereal  – all types

Boxed oatmeal, Steel cut oatmeal, cream of rice.

Soups & Broths (all varieties canned or carton)

Microwavable Pasta and meals

Microwavable Rice pouches

Canned Fruits or fruit cups  

Boxed Pasta (angel hair, fettuccini, shells, bowties, rigatoni, orzo, pastina, ditalini, penne, ziti, bagged egg noodles)

Canned Chili, Stew, Canned chicken

Solid White tuna

Canned vegetables such as Carrots, potatoes, spinach, sauerkraut, beets, mushrooms

Tea, coffee (ground or instant) and hot chocolate

Bloomin’ 4 Good Bouquets Benefit JFS Food Pantry in October

Throughout the entire month of October, Jewish Family Service of Greater New Haven’s Food Pantry will receive a $1 donation for every $10.99 Bloomin’ 4 Good Bouquet with the red circle sticker purchased at the Stop & Shop located at 112 Amity Road in New Haven.

Bring on the Fall season and purchase a bouquet as a pick me up, a thank you, or just because. Flowers can make someone’s day, spread smiles and brighten up a room. And the best part is your purchase will also feed the hungry! It’s a win win situation. The Bloomin’ 4 Good Bouquets with the red circle sticker are located in the floral section of the store or near the Pharmacy or you may ask the Amity Stop & Shop Florist for assistance.