Food Share
going strong
By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
PUTNAM/NECT — While the uncertainty of federal support for food programs might be hanging in the background, the Danielson Veterans Coffeehouse’s Food Share program is going strong.
Bruce Hay, coffeehouse vice president and Food Share organizer, said thus far, they are not seeing much effect from the federal support uneasiness.
The event, which started during COVID-19, is held from 9:30 to 11 a.m. on the first Thursday of the month. It is staffed by volunteers and it is open to all and it’s free.
He said suppliers are all having trouble one way or another. For example Midwest Food Bank in Manchester has the food but is having trouble getting truck drivers. The amount of food the veterans group picks up has not changed.
Food also comes from Connecticut Food Share, which deals with the state and federal government. The Danielson Veterans Coffeehouse’s program is one of two in the state where Connecticut Food Share drops off pallets. The Connecticut Food Share truck comes early to the Putnam farmers market pavilion on Kennedy Drive to drop off pallets, he said. “They give us a good amount,” Hay said but he never knows what might be on the seven or eight pallets. When the pallets arrive at 8:30 a.m. at the pavilion, Hay has to look at what’s on the pallets and estimate how many of each food can go in each box or bag for distribution. “I see what I’ve got on that delivery and go from there.”
One change he’s seen with Connecticut Food Share, he said, is that the food is “nearer to its expiration date;” however, that has no effect on the local program because that food is long “gone by that date.”
Hay said the area’s need is still there. The volunteers serve between 250 and 280 cars at each Food Share. Six months ago, the number served was about the same. A year ago, the figure was about 200 cars served.
For the Food Share this Thursday, July 3, Hay said in addition to the usual foods, he will have eggs. “Everybody will get at least two dozen eggs,” he said. If there are eggs left toward the end, they will give out more than two. In addition, they will offer cheese and hot dogs — just in time for the Fourth of July the next day. He added local vendor Windham Pepsi has given the local Food Share two pallets of soda.
He said eggs will easily keep five weeks past the best by date.
Hay said he opens service to the line of cars at 9:30 a.m. and it keeps moving until 11. He said he’s seen cars start to line up on Kennedy Drive at 5 a.m. The Food Share is drive through.
If there’s any food left, it goes to the Putnam Elks for their first-Saturday food share, the food program at St. Joseph’s Church in N. Grosvenordale and the local VFW and American Legions posts.
The smallest number of volunteers he has had was 40 and the highest number of helpers he’s had is 60.
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Doesn't Happen Without Volunteers
The Danielson Veterans Coffeehouse Food Share takes place the first Thursday of every month from 9:30 to 11 a.m. at the Putnam Farmers Market Pavilion on Kennedy Drive, Putnam. All are welcome. Bruce Hay, in the red hat, is vice president of the coffeehouse and the Food Share organizer. This photo was taken last November. Linda Lemmon photo.
The following charges were listed in the Putnam Police Department logs. The people charged are innocent until proven guilty in court. The Town Crier will publish dispositions of cases at the request of the accused. The dispositions must be accompanied by the proper documentation. The Putnam Police Department confidential Tip Line is 860-963-0000.
June 16
Harley Davidson, 31, homeless/Buck Street, Putnam; possession of controlled substance - first offense, sixth-degree larceny.
June 20
Edward Charles Ernst, 62, Church Street, Putnam; violation of protective order.
Collyn Grenier, 29, homeless, Danielson; first-degree criminal trespass, sixth-degree larceny.
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Records Broken by Woodstock Academy Athletes
Isabel D’Alleva-Bochain (bottom, fifth from left) set a school record enroute to a fourth-place finish last Wednesday at the CIAC Heptathlon championship. The junior broke the school record in the javelin, set in 2010, by just about a foot with a throw of 126-feet, 10-inches. She finished with 3651 points in the event. Fellow junior Eli Manning finished with 4805 points to place ninth in the CIAC Decathlon championship Freshman Lucas Hecker (top, fifth from left) recorded a third-place finish in the 3000-meter Steeplechase, finishing in 10 minutes, 44.11 seconds. Earlier in the week, junior Avery Plouffe broke her own school record at the CIAC Hammer Throw competition with a toss of 122-feet, 10-inches to finish sixth overall. Photos by Josh Welch/Woodstock Academy.
Sr. Eileen Smith, DHS
Sr. Eileen Smith, DHS, 103, a member of the Daughters of the Holy Spirit, entered her eternal rest June 17, 2025, at St. Joseph Living Center in Windham where she was in residence since 2018.
Rose Eileen was born Dec. 31, 1921, in Attleboro, Mass., the daughter of the late Joseph A. and Rose (Soucy) Smith, the seventh of 15 children. She entered religious life in 1940 and made her religious profession on Aug. 20, 1945, at the Provincial House in Putnam. She was then known as Sr. Mary Joseph. She received a bachelor’s from Diocesan Sisters’ College in South Woodstock, and an LPN Certificate from Grassland School of Practical Nursing, Valhalla, N.Y.
Following her religious profession Sr. Eileen served in many varied ministries. She first taught in schools staffed by the Daughters of the Holy Spirit in Waterbury, and in Alabama.
Sr. Eileen was among the first groups of Sisters who went to Chile when the congregation opened missions in that country in 1963 at the request of the bishops of Chile. She served in Antofagasta and Chanaral, Chile from 1963-66 where she taught and visited the families in their homes. She returned to the U.S. and taught ESL classes at Annhurst College until 1969 at which time she took an LPN course at Grassland School of Practical Nursing in Valhalla. Upon completion of this in 1970, Sr. Eileen returned to Antofagasta and established a clinic there to care for the sick.
Returning to the U.S. in 1972 she worked as a nurse in Selma, Ala., and then at St. Clare Convalescent Home in Newport, R.I. She later ministered as a nurse under the Migrant Health Services in Hastings and Haine, FL and spent many summer months from 1974-76 among the migrants of the East Coast in Alabama, Delaware, Virginia, North Carolina and Maryland. She returned to Antofagasta in 1976 and worked there as a nurse for another 10 years followed by a year at the clinic of the Haitian Health Foundation in Jeremie, Haiti, one of the poorest countries in the western hemisphere before returning to the clinic in Antofagasta, Chile. In 1994 she served as clinic nurse among the migrants of Painter, Vir., before retiring to the Provincial House in Putnam in 1995. She joined the community at St. Joseph Living Center in 2018.
She leaves the Daughters of the Holy Spirit spiritual family – her Sisters in community, the Consecrated Seculars and the Associate; many nieces and nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews. She was predeceased by her brothers Austin, Paul, Ralph, Joseph, Gerald, Noel, James and Thomas and by her sisters Marie, Ruth, Theresa, Janet, Claire and Sr. Mary Lou, DHS.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. July 1 at Corpus Christi Parish/St Joseph Church, 99 Jackson St., Willimantic, followed by burial in St. Mary Cemetery in Putnam at 2:30 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to: DHS Retirement Fund, P.O. Box 497, Putnam, CT 06260. Gilman & Valade Funeral Homes, 104 Church St., Putnam.
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