Fall News at the CAFC

So much has happened at the Chester Andover Family Center over the summer. Here are the highlights. The CAFC board of directors welcomed three new board members. Anne Henshaw is new to Chester. She has settled with her family into their new home known to many of us as the Hugging Bear Inn. Community service and advocacy are important to Anne and as a CAFC board member she looks forward to connecting with and serving our community. She brings experience as an education advocate as well as website and social media skills.

Chuck Thompson is also new to our community, bringing both management experience and an interest in outreach and fundraising to our board. Chuck plans to work in support of the Family Center mission to provide essential services to families in our community.

Jeff Nicholes sees his position on the CAFC board as an opportunity to get involved in the community by supporting our work to provide services to those experiencing food and financial insecurity. Jeff works in software so will assist the board with outreach and social media.

We hope you have noticed our new sign and landscape upgrades at the Center on RT 103 S. We are proud of our new look and hope to entice the community and visitors to shop at our Thrift Shop. We now accept credit cards, providing a new option for thrift shop purchases.

Food shelf volunteers have been very busy keeping our shelves stocked with nutritional supplemental food. Thanks to a Vermont Food Bank-Vermont Fresh Grant, we are offering recipe kits to our Food Shelf recipients. Each month we feature at least  different recipe kits which include a recycled bag filledwith a recipe and the ingredients needed to make a side dish. Our goal is to feature produce paired with a recipe that may simply entice a cooking experience such as homemade applesauce or a cooking adventure such as pickled watermelon radishes.

And if it is the fall season, it is time for the 6th Annual Empty Bowl Dinner. This important Family Center Community Fundraiser will be on Saturday, November 9th from 4:30 to 7:00 at the American Legion Hall at 635 VT RT 103S in Chester. All the things the community loves about this event have not changed; delicious soups donated by local chefs, hand painted bowls, the famous CAFC silent auction and themed raffle baskets. New this year will be a live auction and music by DJ Evan Parks. As always, entrance is by donation.