Multiple events support Waterbury Common Market in run-up to Thanksgiving
November 6, 2023 | By Lisa Scagliotti UPDATE Nov. 7: This post was updated with details on a Sunday event at the Waterbury Congregational Church to benefit the Waterbury Common Market.
Food drives combined with activities are on to support the Waterbury Common Market as it heads into its busy holiday season to be well-stocked for everyday needs and holiday feasts.
This Saturday two events will support the market: Waterbury Rotary Club’s annual turkey drive will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the market (57 S. Main St.) and at 11 a.m. Waterbury Recreation will hold a Pumpkin Chuck event at Dac Rowe Park.
Rotary Turkey Drive
The Rotary drive will be held as a drive-up event with volunteers meeting donors curbside to receive donations. The annual drive typically collects food for meals for about 100 local families. In addition to frozen turkeys, the drive is happy to accept monetary donations, everyday non-perishables and other perishable holiday food items such as hams and cheese.
The Rotary works with the Village Market to store the turkeys and other perishables ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday.
Pumpkin Chuck Contest
Also on Saturday, Waterbury Recreation will stage its first Pumpkin Chuck Contest to benefit the market. No registration is required and there is no fee other than a requirement to contribute a non-perishable food item for the Waterbury Common Market. Participants will compete as pairs with each pair attempting to throw and catch a pumpkin. The team to succeed at the longest distance will win a real turkey. No re-dos will be allowed. Pairs can be children, teens and adults.
Human Food Chain to the market
On Sunday, Nov. 12, the Waterbury Congregational Church/White Meeting House will hold its annual Human Food Chain. The church collects food donations and following the Sunday worship service (around 11:15-11:30 a.m.), church members and others gather outside to form a human chain between the church and the market. People pass food down line to the market. If there are not enough people, they will walk the donations to the market. All are invited to join in with a donation and to take a spot in chain.
Ben & Jerry’s swaps pumpkins, ice cream for donations
On Sunday, Oct. 22, volunteers at the Ben & Jerry’s ice cream plant held their annual Pumpkin (and Ice Cream) Giveaway to support the Common Market.
Organizer Kim Audet said they handed out 300 pumpkins and 200 sleeves of ice cream (that’s 8 pints packaged together). In exchange, participants dropped off food donations for Waterbury Common Market. The collection filled 30 boxes and weighed in at 800 pounds, according to market Director Sara Whitehair. In addition, community members contributed $350 in monetary donations which were matched by Ben & Jerry’s, Whitehair said.
Looking ahead, Whitehair said there are some popular items that the market can use if people are considering making non-perishable donations. The November shopping list includes cereal, oatmeal, hearty soups such as Progresso and Campbell's Chunky, snacks such as nuts, granola bars, crackers; also personal care items such as shampoo and conditioner, and deodorant.
Waterbury Common Market is formerly the Waterbury Area Food Shelf having just recently been expanded and renamed. More information is online here.