Newsletter October 2014 Volume 6, Issue 1

Turkey

Stuffing

Potatoes

Butter

Cranberry Sauce

6 Cans Vegetables (2 kinds, 3 cans each)

6 Cans Fruit

2 Cans of Yams

Gravy (jar or packaged mix)

Condiments (i.e.-pickles and olives)

Jell-o

Pie Crust and Filling

Hard Vegetables (squash, turnips)

Celery and Onions

Fresh Fruit

Cookies and Candy

Juice

Congratulations to our Employee of the Quarter: Diane

Donate food, gifts, money, and the most precious of all things, your time…

The Holiday Giving program is the community’s gift to those in need. Children and Seniors in qualified

families receive holiday gifts. In addition, all qualified families receive holiday meals.

Here is a list of items needed for our Holiday Giving Baskets (Each item goes in a basket for a family)

Holiday Giving:

Diane joined the TEEG staff 8 years ago as a Therapeutic Mentor. Since then, she

moved in a management position overseeing all Family programs. She has been a

major contributor to the growth of the Early Childhood and Parent Support

Programs, School Readiness efforts and her most recent work with Triple P, and the

Northeast Support Team (NEST).

Another program under Diane’s capable leadership is the Summer Food Service

Program. Diane just wrapped up another successful Summer Breakfast and Lunch

Program serving 3400 meals to area families.

Diane’s hard work and go get ’um attitude, along with her commitment and

dedication to the families she serves through TEEG programs have made her a

valuable asset to the TEEG team. Diane understands and embraces TEEG’s mission

and works hard every day to empower the families that she works with.

Congratulations Diane!

P a g e 2 N e w s l e t t e r

Boot Drive-Friday November 7th

Election Day Food Drive– Tuesday November 4th

Donations made at these polling locations support:

Thompson Polling Locations: TEEG FOOD PANTRY

Pomfret Polling Locations: POMFRET FOOD PANTRY

Putnam Polling Locations: DAILY BREAD FOOD PANTRY

Woodstock Polling Locations: DAILY BREAD & TEEG FOOD PANTRIES

Thank you for helping us meet the need going into the holiday season!

Support area food banks this election day by bringing a non-perishable food item along with you to the polls!

Election Day Food Drives are being held at polling locations in

Woodstock, Pomfret, Thompson and Putnam.

Fill the Tote

when you Vote!

THE EXCHANGE CLUB of Northeast CT and TEEG in partnership with Quinebaug Valley Senior Citizen

Center, and TVCCA/RSVP will be hosting a Boot Drive

Drive will be held at WINY Radio from 6:00-9:00am

New children’s winter boots only please

TEEG will distribute boots to children and students throughout Northeast Connecticut

Please note that if you would like a thank you letter that you must provide your full name

and address.

Homelessness Awareness

Three schools…. $5,000 all to support Homelessness Prevention! Through the coordination

of Nicolle Hill, TEEG’s AmeriCorp VISTA Team Member, teams of students from Woodstock

Academy and Tourtellotte Memorial High School camped out on the Thompson Town green

on October 3rd and 17th. Through presentations on youth leadership and advocacy, Nicolle

encouraged participation in efforts lead by FRESH (Family Related Effective Solutions for

Humanity) at Woodstock Academy and the Tourtellotte Memorial High School Honor

Society. By spending one night sleeping on the green with only cardboard boxes and

donations provided by the community, students raised over $5,000 for TEEG’s

Homelessness Prevention Fund.

This fund helps TEEG staff address the needs of individuals and families who are facing

homelessness or on the verge of homelessness. TEEG case management staff works to

connect at-risk individuals and families with state and federal resources to improve their

housing situation, but many times there are little barriers preventing a stable housing

environment. Thanks to the dedication of a few students on one night TEEG is able to help

individuals and families all year long!

A Group of Tourtellotte students with their

chaperone during the homeless event.

Photo taken by D. Coffey– Reminder News

P a g e 3 V o l u m e 6 , I s s u e 1

AmeriCorps Vista: Nicolle Hill

A Partnership with our Business Community : The Youth Dinner Club

We are honored to welcome Nicolle Hill our AmeriCorps VISTA team member!

TEEG is honored to announce its recent partnership with the Connecticut Food Justice

Youth Corps, a statewide AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) project. By

participating in the CT Food Justice Youth Corps VISTA project, TEEG is hosting Nicolle,

who will help build administrative, organizational, and financial capacity for TEEG’s youth

leadership programming. The program goal is to develop the next generation of leaders,

role models and community activists changing the way their own community looks at food

and food security.

Nicolle will be assisting in further development of our Youth Advisory Board and bringing

the resources provided by the Connecticut Food Justice Youth Corps to TEEG and the

Northeast community. This fall Nicolle will be helping with the community placement of

raised bed planters, organizing students and volunteers, and attending state and local

Food Policy Council meetings as well as the annual CT Food Bank Conference. Nicolle will

also be spearheading TEEG’s Holiday Dazzle Light Parade entry, with a youth-built float

focused on Food Security.

TEEG will launch a new program titled “The Youth Dinner Club” at the beginning of the year. The goal of this new club is to help the next generation of the work force develop the skills and work ethic necessary to help them become valuable employees. TEEG will reach out to area youth ranging from mature, focused eighth graders, to high school seniors. Youth participants will meet at TEEG’s Clubhouse, where they will be provided the opportunity to socialize and prepare a meal

with area business professionals. Once dinner is completed the business professionals will share information about their profession, including how to access their field, what the future holds for their profession, and how the business and its efforts connects to the community that the adolescents live in. They will also share their wisdom regarding employment practices and what students can do to become “work-ready”.

This club will provide the youth in our community a vocational connection that is positive and supportive. In collaborating with the Northeast Connecticut Chamber of Commerce, TEEG would like to reach out to business partners that are willing to make a difference in the lives of our youth.

If you are interested in presenting to this group, please contact Clinical Program Coordinator, Chris Stewart 860-923-3458

Nicolle Hill TEEG’s

AmeriCorps VISTA, in

the Food Pantry

TEEG continues to provide leadership and capacity to the Northeast Support Team (NEST), working with Day Kimball Hospital. We recently collaborated to apply for a federal grant opportunity to support this effort. On October 15th, TEEG and Day Kimball staff successfully submitted an application to the U.S. Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration Department. We look forward to continuing our partnership with Day Kimball Healthcare!

TEEG’s Intensive Adolescent Mentoring (IAM) program have begun to collaborate with Justice Resource Institute (JRI). Our youth behavioral programs will join forces to achieve the mutual goals of providing positive experiences and interactions for challenged area youth. Some of these upcoming joint activities will include TEEG sponsored clubhouse events, positive buddy systems, vocational opportunities and community gardening. We are optimistic to partner in innovative ways which will allow us to leverage resources while promoting adolescent empowerment and growth in our community!

Community Partnerships

Support from our FAVORITE Fans!! When life gives you lemons…. Our young supporters make lemonade! And in doing so,

they support TEEG! Helen, Newell, and Peter Hale, along with Blake, Brooke and Brody

Zahansky ran a lemonade stand in Pomfret, Labor Day Weekend. As Woodstock Fair

goers along route 169 stopped for a refreshing beverage, they supported TEEG. Our

young entrepreneurs said they had fun, and would like to make it a tradition every

Labor Day Weekend. We love to see community engagement start at such an early

age!

Proceeds from your lemonade stand have helped TEEG to offer a hand up to a

neighbor in need. THANK YOU for making a difference!