October Kitchen - June 2020

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THE NOURISH LETTER

Meet the Team Behind Your Meals JUNE 2020

OctoberKitchen.com | 860-533-0588 | 309 Green Rd., Manchester, CT 06042

On Monday, March 9, the contractor was hanging up the last shelf and tightening the last screws in our new expansion so we could move in. By Friday, March 13, the whole world had changed. Governor Ned Lamont wouldn’t implement the statewide shelter-in- place order for another 10 days, but already we could see the impact the COVID-19 pandemic was going to have on everyone. My wife and I have both worked in the restaurant industry for our entire lives. Right away, we could see the harm the pandemic would have on the entire industry. Our hearts go out to the cooks, servers and everyone in the restaurant industry right now. They’ve been left high and dry by this virus. Even the places that are still open for delivery or carryout are hurting. What would this pandemic mean for October Kitchen, our staff and our customers? Many of our customers are older or immunocompromised, the kind of folks who are at-risk if they caught the virus. It was a relief to learn we were considered essential and could remain operating. Very quickly, we learned just how essential October Kitchen would be for members of our community. What It Means to Be ‘Essential’ 10-YEAR DRESS REHEARSAL

new truck and pull one of our drivers out of retirement to fill the orders. Meanwhile, we had to dramatically increase production on our frozen meals. Of course, it wasn’t enough just to get all of the supplies we needed. We also took steps to protect the health and safety of our customers and our kitchen staff. Gloves and masks became a must, we could only allow two customers in the retail space at a time, we installed a portable hand sanitizer in the building and we had to find a sanitizer we could use on our reusable delivery boxes. We changed our entire packing and delivery system. This was a lot of work. All the while, I kept thinking about how blessed we were. I thanked God every morning. The entire model of October Kitchen is designed to suit this situation. For 10 years, we’ve been doing delivery and carryout meals. Turns out, it was a decadelong dress rehearsal for this big event. It was a true blessing that we were able to keep going strong. I was so grateful for this because it meant that we were still here to take care of the people. October Kitchen’s mission has always been about nourishing people by providing good, healthy meals to people who need us. During the COVID-19 pandemic, there were a lot more people who needed us. It made

This was a lot of work. All the while I kept thinking about how blessed we were.

The wave of orders we got was like nothing we’d ever seen before. We had to rent a

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TRUE NUTMEGGERS How the Manzones Enjoy the Simple Things

the history, the food, everything! October Kitchen has become part of what we love about Connecticut. My uncle is disabled and my father has Alzheimer’s, so having those healthy pre-prepared meals takes a huge weight off our shoulders. The quality is there and the meals taste delicious. And they deliver to our area now! That was really great, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.” At October Kitchen our mission is to help take care of our community. We’re proud to be part of the food of Connecticut and support fellow nutmeggers like Sandy and John, who remind us to pause and enjoy the simple things in life.

the deck and appreciate the scenery. I would call myself a spectator. I like to watch the birds or the people go by. It’s good to pause and enjoy the life around you.” According to the Manzones, the best place to enjoy the simple things is right here in New England. True nutmeggers, the Manzone family has a long history in Connecticut and they’re proud of their roots. “Some kids can’t wait to grow up and move away from home,” John said. “My family’s not like that. We love living in New England, especially Connecticut. It’s a beautiful state. We love the seasons, the culture,

Life moves by pretty fast these days. Technology changes in the blink of an eye, the news is constantly updating and we’re told we need to keep up with it all. In this fast-paced world, it’s so important to stop and appreciate the simple things that give us joy. This is the advice we got this month when we sat down to talk to a couple of our longtime customers, Sandy Manzone and her son, John. anything,” Sandy said with a laugh. “It’s nice to sit on the deck with a cup of coffee and a cookie and remember to be thankful for life.” “As I get older, I find that I’m a lot like my mom,” John added. “I like to sit on “I enjoy getting up every day, knowing I don’t have to cook

“Years ago, my sister, Elaine, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s and her health was failing. I’d heard about October Kitchen from listening to Brad Davis’ radio show. Brad was a huge fan, so I recommended October Kitchen to my sister and we gave it a try. We were both really impressed with it. The food tasted really good and the health benefits were a great plus! Down the road, when my brother-in-law, Joseph, started having health issues due to diabetes, I recommended October Kitchen to him. Not long after, my son, John, started ordering October Kitchen for us. We’re a whole family of October Kitchen fans!” –Sandy Manzone

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REAL (SHOPPING) ANGELS Honor Student Shops for Seniors During Pandemic

_____________________________ Write your name here and fax the completed puzzle to 860-533-0585, send it via empty delivery box or bring it to the shop and receive 10% off your next order . Limit one per customer. Expires June 30, 2020. WORD SEARCH PAUL STEPHANIE ALISON GRADUATION Shopping Angels’ service quickly grew, not just with at-risk folks who needed help with shopping but with volunteers looking to make a difference. After an interview with a local news station, Powell’s story went viral. The next day, she had 20 voicemails and 56 emails from people in California, Arizona and even Connecticut who wanted to volunteer. After a few short weeks, Shopping Angels went international. The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically reshaped everyday life. For seniors and the immunocompromised, the virus made just going to the grocery store a deadly risk. Jayde Powell, an honor student at the University of Nevada, wanted to do something to help at-risk folks in her community. By enlisting help from 20 members of her medical fraternity, Phi Delta Epsilon, Powell founded Shopping Angels, a free grocery delivery service. The service is simple: Clients reach out through email, phone or the Shopping Angels Facebook page with their shopping list. Volunteers then go to the grocery store to do the shopping themselves and deliver the groceries directly to the client’s home. To ensure everyone’s safety, volunteers are required to wear gloves and masks, and they are not allowed to enter anyone’s homes.

“It’s just mind-blowing,” Powell said. “We have branches starting in Canada and Australia that are going to try and do the same thing. It’s just so exciting to see how the communities are wanting to get back.” The Shopping Angels delivery service is free, but clients still have to pay for the groceries themselves. Powell started a GoFundMe account to raise donations for folks who aren’t able to afford everything they need during the crisis. Some food manufacturers and local food banks have even been donating goods to help the Shopping Angels cause. To learn more about the Shopping Angels mission, visit their Facebook page at Facebook.com/ShoppingAngelsInc.

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a huge impact to know the work we’ve done for so long is truly vital. I don’t want to think about what would have happened to our customers or our staff if we had been forced to close our doors. We were incredibly blessed during this crisis and we want to keep paying back that goodwill. October Kitchen has been dropping off lunches to the Manchester Hospital Repository Wing as well as to the Ambulance Service of Manchester to support those working on the front lines. We’ve also been supporting our fellow businesses in the food industry by ordering meals from local establishments. It’s been humbling to see the place October Kitchen has in our community. These last few months have been difficult for us all. As we worked through these challenges, it was good to know that October Kitchen was able to provide folks with healthy, reliable meals, keeping their families nourished and giving them one less thing to worry about. We’re very honored to be entrusted in this role to provide meals during a time of crisis.

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309 Green Rd. Manchester, CT 06042 INSIDE Realizing Our Mission, Serving Our Community page 1

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Have You Met the Manzones?

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Shopping Angels Helps Communities Around the World

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How to Feel Renewed at Any Age

FEELING RENEWED AT ANY AGE 2 Ways to Revive Your Life This Summer

If the mercurial spring weather has prevented you from getting out as much as you would have liked these past few months, you might be feeling a bit of cabin fever about now. Luckily, you can still introduce positive changes to your life that help you feel healthier and younger. Here are two ways to awaken your body and mind. Adopt a new activity. As you get older, it’s not uncommon to drift further from the lifestyle you had in your 20s and 30s. Things have settled down, and you know a bit more about who you are, what you enjoy and what you’re capable of. With this better understanding, you can make choices more aligned with your true interests and personality. Think about getting involved with a new activity you may have always wanted to try but never had the chance, like yoga or even a video game. Trying out new things keeps your brain active. You may even discover a new favorite activity along the way! Pay attention to mental health. Although more years provide more experience and knowledge, sometimes

they also come with heavy baggage. The loss of a loved one, trauma and other struggles can impact your life in later years. This is why it’s good to practice mindfulness. Take some time to focus on the present. Go for a walk and listen to the world around you, feel the fresh air against your skin, fill your lungs and take in everything you can see. Meditation is also a good way to spend a few minutes to focus on your body in the moment and the things in life that make you happy. Practices like these can help you feel lighter, both physically and emotionally.

Growing older doesn’t mean you can’t feel renewed and positive. This isn’t just an impossible idea — it’s a reality.