Subject: FRESH Newsletter: Harvests of Connection

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FRESH New London
Dear Friends, 

And all of a sudden its September. And there is something familiar about it all... but it is a September like no other. 

The kids are back in school, but with masks and distance and-- at least around here-- some form of hybrid of in person and online and with limited contact between students that is the result of lots of work (and is a lot of work to maintain!). We headed into Fall grateful for teachers and custodians, paraeducators and administrators, bus drivers and specialists who are all working so hard. And we are grateful for kids who are excited enough about being back at school that they don't mind (so much, yet) wearing masks all day!   

Here in Connecticut our sun is hazy and we feel connected to all those struggling to breath along the West Coast as wildfires rage throughout cities, towns and farm lands. We are mindful of farmworkers (working to care for livestock and land with and without legal status in the U.S.) and fire fighters (free and trained or incarcerated and not trained) who continue to labor outside despite the danger and the horrible air.   

At FRESH, we are headed into the Fall with masks firmly in place and with trepidation, small steps and a healthy dose of "well see" (and Vitamin C) added in for good measure. 

Our work is important and we are here to do it. 

In this issue of our Newsletter, we'll hear from the intrepid young people who participated in our social distance Crew Program this summer. We look forward by inviting you to help us in our Fall Volunteer Days and we share some updates on staffing and plans for the Fall. 

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Fall Work Days
Finishing Up A Summer Like No Other
Fall Staff Shifts and Changes
Register for the Sunday morning work slots (10am to noon) by clicking on this Sign Up Genius LINK and choosing when you can help us out. We ask that volunteers wear masks, bring gloves and a water bottle. 
Finishing Up A Summer Like No Other
This summer we had a small, returning-youth-only, Crew program. The young people worked really hard on farm tasks, participated in food justice workshops and connected about how hard social distancing is! 

Below are a few pictures and a sampling of responses to the last check in of the summer! Thanks to Julie and Chloe, the Youth Program staff for all they did to make this a meaningful, engaging and safe summer for our Youth Crew participants! 
Fall Staff Shifts and Changes
With Fall comes all sorts of changes-- in the temperature, the color of the leaves and the tempo of the days. 

Here is another one: 

Frida Berrigan, FRESH's Office Manager (official title) and All Around Schlepper and Helper (less official but just as true) is stepping down. 

Here is what she says in her own words: 

It is sad but true, I am leaving FRESH, but not New London, not urban farming, not even the neighborhood. But I do need to reorient my time. My mother-- who will be 81 in November and has dementia-- now lives in New London too. 

And I am stepping back from FRESH to be with her, and make the most of the time that she has left. I am sad to be leaving FRESH, but like I said, its not really goodbye. I hope that FRESH will call on me for all sorts of fun projects and that I will stay connected to all of you! 

You can continue to email me at frida.berrigan@gmail.com. Communicate with FRESH New London and my able replacements at info@freshnewlondon.org. 

Behind Frida in her "Goodbye FRESH" picture is the incredible artwork "Vegetative Dreamscape" by Elizabeth Spurr and John H. Sargent. We are so grateful to these two artists for their collaboration and for entrusting FRESH with their creation. 

We hope that we can safely invite all of you to our offices to view the artwork in person sometime in the COVID-free future! 

Speaking of invitations, we are in the process of a search for a Community Organizer, a full time position that FRESH will share with the Health Improvement Collaborative. Watch this space for an introduction of the new Community Organizer soon!
WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT

Interested in supporting FRESH with a 
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Of course you are!
 
Follow this link: 
http://www.freshnewlondon.org/support-us 
PO Box 285, New london, CT 06320, United States
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