The Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen

Thunder’s Pet Food Pantry

Starting in July, DESK will add a pet food pantry to its food services, named in memory of Chef Jeanne May’s horse Thunder, who passed away last September. DESK decided to start this project after noticing the significant number of guests who either give their own food to their pet companions or find themselves with no choice but to bring their pets to shelters for lack of pet food. In either case, both people and animals suffer. Thunder’s Pantry will address this sad situation, and hopefully, other area pantries will follow DESK’s lead.

Thunder’s pantry will be managed in conjunction with DESK’s Wednesday food pantry at 2:00 p.m. Appointments for emergency requests and referrals will be taken as supplies last. Sign in will be required, which will include the number, age, and type of the pets served. Pet food will be free, as is true with all DESK food services.

Currently Thunder’s pantry has 20-pound bags of dry dog food, besides dog bones and Pounce-brand cat treats. Each week, available pet food may change, with dog and cat food the primary types offered. Eventually, we hope to list pet food availability on our web site.

DESK would like to say a big thanks to Jo Arnone from the “For The Grace of George the Angel Pitbull Fund”, which served as inspiration for Jeanne and Diana to start DESK’s own pet food pantry. Laureena Hillson is also deserving of thanks for making all the right contacts and connections to obtain the supplies for Thunder’s Pantry.

DESK Highlighted in New Haven Register

How their garden grows: City school to send fresh produce to soup kitchen

Board of Directors Elects New Treasurer

Martin J. Burns was unanimously voted onto the DESK Board of Directors as treasurer at the June 2009 meeting of the Board of Directors. Congratulations, Martin!

Martin is presently a litigation associate at Murtha Cullina, LLP in New Haven.  His professional resume includes commercial, business, and securities litigation, in addition to mergers and acquisitions tax practice.  He received his legal education at NYU Law School, Pace University Lubin School of Business, and Saint Louis University.  He has been admitted to the New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut bars.

Martin will be a very welcome addition to the DESK Board of Directors!

Summer Letter Appeal

This year, DESK plans to send a Summer Letter Appeal. The economic down turn has affected us all: DESK has seen a perfect storm of mounting costs of business, swelling numbers of guests, and declining funds. As the Summer Letter Appeal arrives in the next few weeks, please consider a donation of what ever amount you can afford, especially if you were planning to attend the now-cancelled Summer Toast. If you do not receive a paper copy of the Letter Appeal, an electronic version is now downloadable.

DESK is extremely grateful for the help and support it has received from the greater New Haven community for the past 20 years. Without your help DESK would not exist!

Please address all donations to:
Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen
Post Office Box 1478
New Haven, CT 06506-1478

Monetary gifts will go toward the general and daily operations of DESK.

Thank you.

D. M. Richter, Ph.D.

Summer Sustainable Garden

As reported in the New Haven Register on June 21, DESK’s garden at St. Martin De Porres Academy is beginning to take shape. DESK would like to thank the New Haven Land Trust, who brought in dirt and seedlings. Kudos go especially to Administrative Manager Barbara Ackerson of the New Haven Land Trust for getting things rolling! Another big thanks goes to the Yale Sustainable Food Project, including Executive Director Melina, together with Daniel and Hannah at the Yale Farm, who will schedule Yale interns to help train the students in the various tasks of gardening throughout the summer months.

DESK would like to thank Kelly O’Leary, assistant principal at St. Martin De Porres Academy, for helping to make this vision a reality for her students and for DESK!

Thanks to Cathy Wick of the New Haven Garden Club, the students have finished preparing the site for use. Gabriel Velazquez, on staff at St. Martin de Porres, has been helping the students design the web page for the garden. The students involved in the club are Cherry Grear, Madiah Gant, Michell Manrique, Nico Clark, and CJ Perez.

DESK would also like to extend a special thanks to DESK Board Member Michelle Reynard, who has been working with this project since its inception.

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