Events to benefit Spooner House food bank, coffers

    Chocolate, Valentine’s Day, helping others: what could be lovelier?
    On Valentine’s weekend, Feb. 16-17, Spooner House will benefit from two Valley events.

    The 11th annual “Valley Has a Heart” food drive will be held Feb. 16 at Stop & Shop stores in Ansonia, Seymour, and Shelton. 
    The goal is to gather non-perishable food to last for at least two months and $3,000 in cash to use for restocking the shelves as needed during the winter.
    The collections will run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at each location.

    The Stop & Shop stores where donations can be made are at 100 Division St., Ansonia, 15 Franklin St., Seymour and 898 Bridgeport Ave., Shelton.
    This year Spooner House has Stop & Shop as a marquee sponsor, as well as site sponsors Dan Jacobs Porsche Specialists of Oxford and Dworken, Hillman, LaMorte & Sterczala of Shelton.

In Love and Chocolate

    On Feb. 17 the Mary A. Schmecker Turtle Shell Fund will host a chocolate lover’s paradise, In Love and Chocolate, with proceeds being split between Spooner House and the Turtle Shell Fund.
    The event will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Courtyard by Marriott, 780 Bridgeport Ave.
    For $25, patrons will be able to sample chocolate creations from the best of Connecticut’s confectioners, sip champagne (for 21 and older), listen to live music, enter to win door prizes and more.

    Among the exhibitors serving up sweet samples this year are Crave (Ansonia), Royal Bakery (Shelton), Pink Cupcake Shack (Shelton), Burnt Bakery (Seymour), Chocolate Pizza Kitchen (Shelton), Stone Gardens (Shelton) and Starbucks (Shelton). 
     Tickets are available at Liquid Lunch locations (434 Howe Ave. and 6 Research Drive in Shelton, and 84 S. Broad St., Milford) and Spooner House, 30 Todd Road, Shelton.
     Tickets may be purchased at www.turtleshellfund.com/events. Those tickets will be held for pick up on the day of event at Will Call.
    For information call Nicole Heriot of Liquid Lunch, 203-926-6038.

    “We were pleased with the outpouring of support and enthusiasm from these two heart warming events last year,” said Susan Agamy, Spooner House executive director. “We are looking forward to receiving even more support from the public this year.”

Volunteers needed  

    Volunteers are needed for “The Valley Has a Heart” food drives at each location to collect and organize the food.
    Call Tony Vellucci, 203-225-0453 if you are able to provide just a few hours of help.
    Those residents unable to visit one of the stores are encouraged to make a donation. Make checks payable and mail to: Area Congregations Together, Inc., Spooner House, 30 Todd Road, Shelton, Ct., 06484.
      Donations may be made via PayPal by clicking the Donate button at www.actspooner.org.

      Deliveries of non-perishable food are welcomed at Spooner House 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays, or to set up a time for food delivery call 203-225-0453.
     In Ansonia, donations for the Spooner House food bank may be brought to the office at Christ Episcopal Church, 56 Cliff St. weekdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. or call 203-734-2715 to arrange for drop offs.
 

This information was taken from a press release from Spooner House.