Well, we have all seen the Coca-Cola commercials where caravans of brightly lit Coca-Cola trucks travel through the countryside. For the first time ever the caravan will come to Vermont to kick-off the holiday season and raise money and food for a good cause. Stan Patrowski, of Coca-Cola, “is excited to be able to bring this to Vermont.”

Though this promises to be a wonderful family event it is made even more special since it will be a drop-off location for people to donate food items to the Chittenden Emergency Food Shelf or to make donations to buy a senior a holiday meal. Check out the caravan at Shaw’s on Shelburne Road in South Burlington on Dec 13, meet Santa, and enjoy some caroling to ring in the spirit of Christmas.Coca-Cola has a long history with Santa Clause. The popular image that we have come to know and love as the jolly old elf was created for an advertising campaign for Coke in 1931.

The goal of this day is to make sure that everyone in our community has a wonderful holiday season and that no one goes hungry. Stop by and enjoy the show and drop off a food item to support the Food Shelf or make a donation so that no senior goes hungry this holiday. Food items that are always needed by the Food Shelf include cereal, peanut butter, soup, tuna, canned fruit, cannned vegetable, spaghetti, macaroni, rice, canned juice, and Ensure.

The Chittenden Emergency Food Shelf has been feeding the hungry since 1974 throughout Chittenden County. Last year over 2,182,256 pounds of food were distributed. The Food Shelf relies on donations to make sure that people are getting the food they need.

Though many people think of needy families using the Food Shelf it might surprise people to know that over 720 seniors relied on the food shelf last year to make it through . However for many seniors it is difficult if not impossible for them to get to the Food Shelf to pick up the much needed groceries. In 1998 Wanda Hines, Executive Director for the Chittenden Emergency Food Shelf started the Homebound Grocery Delivery Program (HGDP) which makes a monthly delivery of a 5 day supply of groceries to over 125 seniors and disabled adult households. According to Hines this program is about “relationships, community and people being isolated, we bring more than food into their lives” As much as the seniors need the groceries many seniors live alone and are isolated. According to Katie Dyer, program coordinator for HGDP, she and her volunteers are often the only people seniors see. According to Dyer “ a lot of people have come to need and depend on us, and they are so happy and thankful to see us.”

Eleanor Lavallette, 79 of Hinesburg, has been receiving home delivered groceries from the Chittenden Emergency Food Shelf for a number of years and has found the program to be “handy and helpful to all seniors.” Getting to the Food Shelf would be “almost impossible” for Lavallette. But as important as the groceries are, Lavallette equally looks forward to her visits with the volunteer. According to Dyer that for a “lot of these people, especially in the winter months I am the only person they see. It means a lot both socially as well as providing food.”

The Chittenden Emergency Food Shelf distributed 43,200 pounds of food last year just for its Homebound Grocery Delivery Program. Community support through donations and volunteers make the Food Shelf possible. As Hines says this program is “needed in our community, it makes things better.”

Coca-Cola Caravan
Shaw’s on Shelburne Rd
December 13
11am-8:30pm

Chittenden Emergency Food Shelf
658-7939

Sarah Lemnah writes on senior issues for the Champlain Valley Agency on Aging. This article originally appeared in the Burlington Free Press.