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Community Corner

5th Annual Connoisseurs' Dinner

The Food Bank of Lower Fairfield County Will Host the 5th Annual Connoisseurs' Dinner on October 6.

Signature Event Raises Funds to Help Feed
Individuals and Families in Local Communities.

On Wednesday, October 6 at 6:30 pm, The Food Bank of Lower Fairfield County is looking forward to welcoming the more than 100 people who are expected to gather at the Stamford Yacht Club in support of a worthy cause – feeding the hungry in Lower Fairfield County.

Now in its fifth year, the Connoisseurs' Dinner is a signature event that serves as the primary fundraising effort for The Food Bank.

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According to Executive Director Kate Lombardo, people respond positively to this annual fundraiser because the food-theme aligns with The Food Bank mission. "We provide food to over 100 non-profit agencies and programs – including soup kitchens, food pantries, child-care programs and senior centers – in Darien, Greenwich, New Canaan, Norwalk, Stamford and Wilton that, by distributing bags of groceries or serving congregate meals, feed the hungry."

As a hunger-relief organization, Lombardo notes that The Food Bank is the only service of its kind in the area. "Last year, The Food Bank supplied more than 1.6 million pounds of food – a record high for the third year in a row – to feed those in need in our service area."

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For the six municipalities that The Food Bank serves, the benefits are many. "We provided the Town of Darien with nearly 29,000 pounds of food," says Lombardo, "at a savings of more than $43,000 over wholesale costs."

Community Based; Donor Supported: "Given the demand for our services, and the benefits that accrue to the agencies and programs with which we work, aggressive fundraising is a critical element," says Nancy Apy, who serves as board president at The Food Bank.

To meet the need for food in the six communities served by The Food Bank, which – as a result of the recession – now extends beyond people living in poverty to include those who, until recently, were more financially secure, The Food Bank solicits food donations from a variety of private and governmental sources.

"Because perishables such as meat and poultry are rarely available through donation, we have always purchased these items in bulk at very low cost." According to Apy, The Food Bank purchased close to 300,000 pounds of these items in 2009.

To underscore the importance of fundraising efforts such as the Connoisseurs' Dinner, Apy highlights the fact that the economic downturn has also affected the agency's traditional funding sources, with a corresponding reduction in levels of giving. "At the same time," she says, "the demand for emergency food has increased exponentially."

This means that proceeds from the Connoisseurs' Dinner ticket sales and silent auction are essential to helping ensure that The Food Bank will be able to continue meeting the growing demand for groceries and meals.

"Put simply," she says, "we have always relied on the generosity of people who live and work in the area to help those who are struggling. And we are doing so now more than ever before."

Apy knows that the number of people who need help putting a meal on the table has increased significantly as a result of economic conditions, but she is also aware that a majority of the people in this area still have the financial wherewithal to help ensure that no one goes hungry. "When people understand the level of need in neighboring communities, they tend to be generous in helping to meet the need."

Food for Food: That there are people in the Connecticut gold coast who go hungry is a major concern to the event's honoree – Chef Bryan Malcarney, a Wilton native and owner of Rory's Pub in Darien and Westport's Blue Lemon Restaurant. 'Food is my life' is more than a business mantra for Malcarney. "Food is essential to life," he says.

All of us hear the statistics – one of every six people in the United States struggles with hunger, and most of us in Fairfield County immediately think that it's happening someplace else. "But in the best of times, someplace else is usually closer than we think; like Stamford or Norwalk," Malcarney states flatly. "And these days, it's just as likely to be the house next door."

Passionate about food across all measures, the lack of it in area households inspired Malcarney and other areas chefs to team with The Food Bank to raise money so that people in Lower Fairfield County won't go hungry, no matter where they live.

Doing Good and Eating Well: The people who attend the Connoisseurs' Dinner each year are treated to a delightful culinary experience. The menu includes hors d'oeuvres and a five-course meal, and each dish is paired with a wine that complements the flavors, plus dessert. All food for the dinner is donated by the Cingari Family of Grade A ShopRite.

The Connoisseurs' Dinner will feature dishes prepared and presented by seven select Fairfield County chefs who donate their talent and time to this benefit. Chef Malcarney will be joined by Chef Erik Anderson of David's Soundview Catering in Stamford, Chef Jean-Louis Gerin of Restaurant Jean-Louis in Greenwich, Chef Tom Isidori of the Country Club of Fairfield, Chef Stephen Maronian of Sweet Lisa's Exquisite Cakes in Cos Cob, Chef Pietro Scotti of Da Pietro's Restaurant in Westport and Chef P. Quint Smith of the Stamford Yacht Club.

In addition to the Cingari Family, the event has been underwritten by The Royal Bank of Scotland and Thomson Reuters.

As in past years, Lombardo anticipates a high-energy event. "There will be interesting people, several courses of food to satisfy the most discerning palate and an appealing assortment of items for silent auction."

A highlight of the evening will be the much-anticipated live auction, during which attendees will be invited to bid on a personal dinner party that is catered by all seven chefs and includes hors d'oeuvres, a meal composed of several courses, dessert and a sampling of wines to complement each dish.

For Lombardo, who has dedicated more than 10 years to the mission-based work of The Food Bank, the best part is the knowledge that the generosity of the evening will be used to combat hunger in Lower Fairfield County.

To purchase tickets, or for more information, visit The Food Bank website at www.foodbanklfc.org and click on The 5th Annual Connoisseurs' Dinner link.

About The Food Bank of Lower Fairfield County

The Food Bank of Lower Fairfield County, Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit, is the primary hunger-relief organization in Lower Fairfield County. They provide food to more than 100 non-profit agencies and programs that serve people in our six-town service area (Darien, Greenwich, New Canaan, Norwalk, Stamford and Wilton) through bags of groceries and congregate meals. These include soup kitchens, food pantries, child care programs, homeless shelters, senior centers, domestic violence safe houses and rehabilitation programs. In 2009, The Food Bank supplied 1,631,072 pounds of food to its member agencies at a savings of $2.5 million over wholesale costs. $0.96 of every dollar donated goes directly to support The Food Bank's mission. To find out how to you can help, visit www.foodbanklfc.org/how-to-help or call (203) 358-8898.

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