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Operation Hope Outreach Team Members Recognized for Cold Weather Efforts

šŸ“£ šŸ“£ We are incredibly proud of two members of our Operation Hope Outreach Team – Damien Holley and Eneisha Simmons! They were recently recognized and celebrated by The Housing Collective and Opening Doors for their efforts to keep people safe this winter, when CT’s severe weather extreme weather protocol was activated 49 days! 🄶 Damien and Eneisha truly went above and beyond, always maintaining a positive attitude when it wasn’t easy and demonstrating the true meaning of empathy. Thank you, Damien and Eneisha, for taking care of our neighbors in need every day šŸ™šŸ½

Annual Stamp Out Hunger Mail Carrier Drive Collects 13 Tons in Donations

We have the stats from Saturday’s 33rd annual Stamp Out Hunger Mail Carrier Food Drive! šŸ“« Drumroll, please šŸ„ā€¦the Town’s mail carriers collected 26,000 lbs, or 13 tons, of non perishable donations! If you consider the weight of a male African elephant, these animals average 5.5 tons each. We collected almost 2 and a half elephants in donations! 🐘🐘
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The drive was an enormous success thanks to mail carrier Michael Capodicci, who once again organized everything for this year’s drive šŸ™Œ.png And thanks to all of the Fairfield and Southport mail carriers who participated! The mail carriers who chose to participate in the drive all volunteered to do this…as they do every year. Thank you for spending a large part of your Saturday to help feed and care for our neighbors in need! šŸ™
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Thank you to Pizza Mediterranean and Alene’s Ice Cream Truck for proving treats for the mail carriers. Thanks Michael’s extraordinary efforts to get yellow bag sponsors and to the sponsors for making it easy for residents to gather their donations – Bagel King, D.P. Dough Fairfield, Fairfield Motoworks, Ironhawk Financial, Kindred Spirits & Wine, Malibu Taco, Northwestern Mutual, Pizza Mediterranean, PureWash Pro, The Sinclair and Sophie’s Pizza Bar. Special shout outs to yellow bag sponsors D.P. Dough Fairfield for hosting a Give Back Night for Operation Hope and Northwestern Mutual for collecting 650 lbs of donations alone in their office 🤩
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Thanks to the Town of Fairfield and Fairfield First Selectperson Christine Vitale, who stopped by (on her birthday!) to issue a proclamation and help load a few bags. We are grateful to the many wonderful volunteers who pitched in – SASO Girls Fairfield, SASO Boys Fairfield, National Charity League Inc-Fairfield CT Chapter, Staples High School football team and many individuals. Everyone had so much fun that nobody even noticed the very wet conditions! We are deeply grateful to the Fairfield and Southport residents who left donations out over the weekend for their mail carriers. It takes a village to care for those most in need in our community and we all did that together on May 9 🄰
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Mark your calendar for the 34th annual Stamp Out Hunger Mail Carrier Food Drive on May 8, 2027! šŸ“…

Swing by the Refill the Pantry Food Drive on May 16

The Refill the Pantry program will host a community-wide food drive on Saturday, May 16, to benefit Operation Hope’s Food Pantry. From 9am-5pm, volunteers will be stationed outside Stop & Shop at 1160 Kings Highway Cutoff, Fairfield to collect non-perishable food donations. The effort will bring together volunteers from local church communities. Grab a list from the volunteers or use this one here to shop for our pantry. Thank you to all donors, volunteers, Stop & Shop and Refill the Pantry! We are grateful for the donations to stock up for the summer, when we typically see a slide in donations.Ā 

At their drive in September, the group collected an impressive 2,410 lbs of food. They also raised $1,311, providing vital support for families facing food insecurity in our community.

ā€œRefill the Pantryā€ is a collaborative project sponsored by four churches: Our Saviour’s Lutheran (Fairfield), First Presbyterian (Fairfield), Grace Lutheran (Stratford) and Good Shepherd Lutheran (Monroe). ā€œThis is truly a collaborative community effort to fight food insecurity in Fairfield,ā€ said Rich Lansing, a spokesperson for Refill the Pantry. ā€œWe’re grateful for the support of Columbia alumni and our local faith partners, whose generosity directly supports neighbors in need.ā€

Happy Mother’s Day!

Mother’s Day offers a very special opportunity to honor those who open so many doors in our lives. Mothers, mothers-in-law, grandmothers, aunts, sisters, daughters, fathers, sons, uncles, friends, neighbors and mentors all touch our lives in significant and lasting ways. When you shower your mom or the special person who plays that role in your life today, please think of the moms struggling in our community. We thank you for helping us provide the most basic of needs to the most vulnerable members of our community. In difficult and uncertain times, those in need, more than ever, depend on caring and compassionate people like you. Happy Mother’s Day! šŸ’

Evening of Hope Silent Auction Is Open – Bid Now

šŸ“£Operation Hope of Fairfield is thrilled to announce bidding is OPEN in our most exciting online Silent Auction yet! šŸ™Œ Bid online now prior to the 23rd Annual Evening of Hope on May 7 or in person at the celebration. Trips, sports, shopping, staycations, jewelry and more are now available for bidding, with more fun items coming online shortly! No need to be present to win. Bidding will remain open until 8:30pm ET on Thursday, May 7. Bid now and bid often! Bid here.
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šŸ“£The businesses that donate items for our auction do so because they believe in our mission and, as part of the community, they want to support us. We are grateful for them and and for you! https://ophopegala.givesmart.com
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šŸ“£Finally, a shoutout to our generous sponsors, who make Evening of Hope possible! Thank you!
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Happy National Volunteer Week!

ā¤Happy Volunteer Appreciation Week!ā¤
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Operation Hope of Fairfield relies tremendously on you, our volunteers. Whether you are doing hands-on volunteer work, advocacy or raising much needed funds for Operation Hope, what you do matters. You form the backbone of our ability to provide affordable housing, run the Food Pantry, feed people in our Community Kitchen and offer services for our neighbors in need.
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Not just this week, but every day, we thank all of you – the countless friends of all ages, businesses, organizations, the Town of Fairfield, elected officials and our Board – who share your time, treasure, talent, voice and support to advance our mission to end hunger and end homelessness. Together, we are helping people solve their crises and build stability in an environment in which compassion inspires dignity and hope 🫶

🌸 Evening of Hope: Sponsors Spotlight šŸ”¦ & Limited Tickets Remaining šŸŽŸļø

🫶We are eternally grateful for our very generous sponsors of this year’s Evening of Hope, “Where Hope Blooms” 🌸 Not only are we celebrating our Immediate Past Executive Director, Carla Miklos, as our Champion of Hope, we also share our gratitude for the continued support of many of these longtime sponsors of our mission to end hunger and homelessness, one person at a time ā¤ļø This is something we cannot do alone. We are better together.

šŸŽŸThere are just a FEW tickets remaining! If you plan to join us, please buy your tickets ASAP. And if you are unable to join us, please consider being a “Friend” by making a donation of any amount. Thank you!

We look forward to an evening of celebrating hope and nurturing growth as we gather to honor not just Carla but also our staff, donors, volunteers and Board. Together, help usĀ support Operation Hope’s mission to end hunger and homelessness, one person at a time.

 

Saying Goodbye and Hello!

For nearly two decades,Ā Carla Miklos has been the heart of Operation Hope of Fairfield’sĀ mission to end hunger and homelessness, one person at a time.Ā Her impact on our community is immeasurable, and while we will miss her daily presence, the foundation she built ensures our continued success. Please join us in thankingĀ Carla for 19 years of unwavering commitment and wishing her the best in her retirement!

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As we look toward our next chapter, we are thrilled to welcomeĀ Erika Eng as our Interim Executive Director. ErikaĀ brings a wealth of experience in non-profit work and aĀ passion for our cause. We are confident that her leadership will provide a steady hand and fresh perspective during this transition period.

In Need of Full-Size Paper Grocery Bags for Pantry Clients

As you’re doing your grocery shopping, we would appreciate any paper grocery bags you can spare! We’re in need of full-size brown paper grocery bags to pack groceries and essentials for our Food Pantry clients. Handled and handle-less paper grocery bags are appreciated! We do not need take-out bags. Please drop off Monday-Friday, 9am-4:30pm, 636 Old Post Road, Fairfield, and please do not leave donations unattended. Thank you for helping us feed and care for our neighbors in need!

Happy Easter from Operation Hope!

Sending sweet thoughts for a happy, hoppy Easter 🐰 May your Easter basket be filled with joy, happiness and peace today and always 🐣

OFFICE & FOOD PANTRY


636 Old Post Road

Fairfield, CT 06824
203-292-5588
[email protected]

OFFICE & DONATION HOURS

Monday-Thursday, 9:00am - 5:00pm (donations accepted until 4:30pm)
Friday, 9:00am - 1:00pm (summer hours through September 5; donations accepted until 1:00pm)
Please do not leave donations unattended at the door or when the office is closed.

PANTRY HOURS

  • Monday, Wednesday & Friday:
    10:00am - 12:00pm
  • Thursday: 4:00pm - 6:00pm

OUTREACH & COMMUNITY KITCHEN

50 Nichols Street
Fairfield, CT
Ā 06824
203-254-2935

COMMUNITY KITCHEN HOURS

Meals served Monday - Friday:

  • Lunch: 11:30am - 1:00pm
  • Dinner: 5:00pm - 6:30pm

GET HELP IMMEDIATELY: If you are homeless or hungry in Fairfield County dial 211 24/7

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