In Our Own Back Yard

By Elizabeth Bailey

“The number of people who are clearly in distress as the result of the pandemic, and now rising inflation, is the most I have seen in my nineteen years in Norfolk,” says Erick Olsen, pastor of the Church of Christ Congregational.  “It is easy for those of us who live in this bucolic setting to assume that everything is lovely for everyone.  The foliage is glorious, we enjoy gorgeous natural resources when we hike or swim. But part of the reality of Norfolk and its neighbors is that people are struggling to make ends meet.”

Nationally, food prices are rising at the rate of 13 percent per year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.  Lynn Deasy, a Norfolk native who is director of the Norfolk Food Pantry housed in the Battell Chapel, said that “everyone is being pinched.” “But,” she added, “what we have found at the pantry is that a $600 receipt for groceries purchased today covers about what $400 purchased last year – and we are good shoppers.”

The number of individuals coming to the Norfolk Food Pantry over the last year has almost doubled from 33 to 56 per five-week period while the number of family members being fed from those visits has also doubled from 97 to 180.   Explained Deasy, “Those are average numbers. There were a number of times when we were feeding 240 folks over the five-week period.” 

The local data is disturbing. According to Mary Pat Lasko, Botelle School secretary, 43 percent of the school’s students are eligible for either free lunch or reduced prices for lunch, an important metric for assessing poverty. To qualify for free lunches, families must be earning 130 percent of the federal poverty level or less.  The expiration of the child tax credit, which amounted to as much as $3,600 per child for many families, along with the end of stimulus checks, has added to economic stress that experts predict will increase food insecurity.

Rents are on the rise, further eroding the food dollar.  In Torrington, rents have risen 7.6 percent in the last two years and 12.4 percent in Winsted.  There is no data on rentals in Norfolk, which, realtor Betsy Little explained, are limited. 

Plenty of people who work in Norfolk but live elsewhere are feeling the pressure. Brenda Phair, who works as a housekeeper, rents a room in a house in Torrington for $540 per month.  “The landlord raised the rent by $100 and I hear he’s planning on raising it again,” she said. She is facing an $1,800 bill for car repairs. Meanwhile, “I used to spend about $200 per month on food, now that barely covers two weeks.  When I sit down to pay my bills, I end up robbing Peter to pay Paul and both of them get mad.”

The Norfolk Food Pantry acts as a point of contact for those in need and as an informal gateway to other social services.  Marie-Christine Perry, a volunteer at the pantry with a dedicated group of clients on Tuesday mornings, spoke from a room outfitted with metal racks displaying diapers, canned tomatoes, coffee, among other typical items found at supermarkets as well as a white board advertising what was in the fridge:  vanilla yogurt, sliced cheddar, American and Swiss cheese.  “I hear about the illnesses, the deaths, difficulties paying the bills. People tell me their problems,” she noted.  Perry brings her dog, Louie, to work with her.  “Many people are embarrassed to come to the food pantry.  Seniors, in particular, find it hard to ask for help. Louie puts them at ease,” said Perry.

The food pantry does not ask for proof of need, nor does it pack bags of groceries for its clients.  The only question asked is how many people are being fed, so that the pantry staff can keep track of visits and numbers of people served. Clients choose what they want. “People tell us they like coming here because it’s like a supermarket,” explained Deasy.  Client choice and lack of proof of need requirements may exclude the food pantry from membership in organizations like the Connecticut Food Bank, but it also relieves the organization from regulations that might stifle innovation.

“As much as the statistics paint a dire picture, the flip side is that we create opportunities for people in this community to help others,” commented Olsen.  The Norfolk Food Pantry receives funds from NorfolkNET. It also receives funds from a variety of other sources including the Norfolk Farmers Market and many individual contributions of groceries and financial donations. “One senior takes the bus every week to bring two bottles of organic milk to the pantry.  A retired dentist brings five dozen eggs every week,” added Deasy. 

As Perry was finishing her morning at the Norfolk Pantry on a recent Tuesday, an example of the generosity of the townspeople arrived in the guise of a Subaru, whose driver released the hatchback to reveal bottles of deep red marinara, economy-sized peanut butter jars, paper towels, cake mixes, cartons of mac and cheese, and even boxes of Pirate’s Booty, just for fun.

The pantry holds fundraisers from time to time, such as the one coming up on Nov. 12 in the Battell Chapel from 5 to 7 p.m., when Grant and Kristin Mudge and the Grantville Dawgs will be “Foot Stompin’ for the Pantry.” In addition, volunteers from the pantry will sell food at the Farmers Market Holiday Party on Dec. 3.

Monetary donations to the food pantry are always accepted and are tax-deductible. Checks should be made out to the “Norfolk NET Fund” and sent to the Northwest Connecticut Community Foundation, 33 East Main Street, Torrington 06790. Checks may also be made out to “Church of Christ, Congregational” (with a memo note: “Norfolk Food Pantry”.)