Anne Hughes

It was a poignant honor to present David Pattee with a citation from the state legislature recognizing his retirement from the Redding Conservation Commission after four decades of service and the many years serving as Chair, and his many decades of public service to the community and to preserving the natural assets of wider Redding. As Town Clerk Michele Grande wrote in the last stanzas of her poem dedicated to this celebration of his service, 

“Walk all the open space
You helped to preserve
Trails are always open
No need for you to reserve

You have been at the helm
For so many years now
We are eternally grateful
Now stand up and take a bow!"

A new one-time grocery benefit of $300 each is being distributed to low-income Connecticut residents who have been pushed out of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) due to federal changes.

The grocery benefits, through a partnership the Connecticut Department of Social Services (DSS) arranged with Connecticut’s network of community action agencies, with support provided by the Connecticut Association for Community Action (CAFCA), will be distributed as prepaid virtual grocery cards—not loaded onto existing EBT cards.

Eligible residents are expected to be able to access the benefits starting today, August 4.

Food insecurity is on the rise in Connecticut, and the actions by the federal government will likely make matters worse. Connecticut Foodshare recently shared some alarming data: 

• Overall food insecurity rate for Connecticut increased to 15.3% (vs 14.3% last year - a 7% increase)
•  560,760 food insecure individuals (approx. 50,000 person increase)
• 1 in 7 Connecticut residents are food insecure, including 1 in 5 children (an increase from last year at 1 in 6 children)
• Food insecurity disproportionately impacts Black and non-white Hispanic communities. In Connecticut,1 in 3 Black persons and 1 in 4 non-white Hispanic persons are food insecure.
• 1 in 11 Connecticut seniors are food insecure
• Nearly 50% of food insecure neighbors in Connecticut do not qualify for SNAP and other types of federal assistance.
• Access the full Map the Meal Gap report here. You can find an interactive map of Connecticut with town-by-town data on the Connecticut Foodshare website here.

We are pleased to join Easton’s own Lori Cochran-Dougall, executive director of Connecticut’s Farmer’s Market Association, on Thursday (Aug. 6) at the Westport Farmers Market at 11 a.m. for recognition of proclaiming this week CT Farmers Market Week! (The Westport market, at 50 Imperial Ave., is open Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. through Nov. 5.)

“Farmers markets are much more than a place to buy fresh produce — they are where our communities come together," said Lori Cochran-Dougall. "This week is a chance to celebrate the hard work of our farmers and market managers/directors. We are honored Governor Lamont recognizes our contributions through this proclamation. CFMA’s ongoing educational programming, such as the Food Policy Forum, help ensure that the people running and supporting these markets have a real voice in shaping the future of local food in Connecticut."

We couldn’t agree more. We have been working with the Office of Food Policy within CHRO a plan to promote more state, school and congregate livening facility purchase of more locally sourced and grown food, as part of a state-wide food security plan as costs continue to soar.

The American Red Cross needs our help — there is an emergency blood shortage, which means the blood supply is critically low - about a one to two day supply on hand — and could cause hospitals to triage blood products, prioritizing the most critical cases, delaying non-emergency procedures, and causing risks for patients who require timely transfusions, including trauma patients, women giving birth, and patients with chronic blood disorders.

Blood donors, especially those with types O+ & B- blood (the biggest shortages right now), and platelet donors are urgently needed to help ensure lifesaving medical care isn't delayed for patients. 

Basic eligibility for whole blood donation:

• Donation frequency: Every 56 days, up to 6 times a year
• You must be in good health and feeling well
• You must be at least 16 years old in most states
• You must weigh at least 110 lbs.

Basic eligibility for platelet donation:

• Donation frequency: Every 7 days, up to 24 times/year
• You must be in good health and feeling well
• You must be at least 17 years old in most states 
• You must weigh at least 110 lbs.

There are also options to donate Power Red and plasma (eligibility can be found here - https://www.redcrossblood.org/donate-blood/how-to-donate/eligibility-requirements.html

Find a blood drive near you: https://www.redcrossblood.org/give.html/find-drive

The need for blood is constant. The supply isn't.

YouTube video link on eligibility myths - https://youtu.be/qm9DZFrLWQU?si=AWW24B9ZlB3fdBsq