MASTER OF CEREMONIES

Khalid Williams

Welcome

Opening Remarks- Khalid Williams/Director of Marketing and Social Media

Introduction to Silent Auction

Spiritual Word of Uplift- Minister Pam Fairly

Announcement of Auction Winners

5:00 PM Dinner

Introduction to DOLLS

Champions of Food Equity- Nancy Bowden/UCONN Extension

Master Gardner Program- Robin Wyles/ Executive Board Member,

Dorchester Food Co-op

Guest Speaker/Charles Christie

Keney Park Sustainability/ Herb Virgo- Organization Salutorian

Grant Recipients

Closing Remarks- Meredith Johnson, Founder

Dancing

EST. 2023

Doll's House Foundation

OFficial craft home

More information at www.DOLLSHOUSEFOUNDATION.com

MASTER OF CEREMONIES

Khalid Williams

Welcome

Opening Remarks- Khalid Williams/Director of Marketing and Social Media

Introduction to Silent Auction

Spiritual Word of Uplift- Minister Pam Fairly

Announcement of Auction Winners

5:00 PM Dinner

Introduction to DOLLS

Champions of Food Equity- Nancy Bowden/UCONN Extension

Master Gardner Program- Robin Wyles/ Executive Board Member,

Dorchester Food Co-op

Guest Speaker/Charles Christie

Keney Park Sustainability/ Herb Virgo- Organization Salutatorian

Grant Recipients

Closing Remarks- Meredith Johnson, Founder

Dancing

EST. 2023

Doll's House Foundation

OFficial craft home

More information at www.DOLLSHOUSEFOUNDATION.com

Community award Organizations

• Bloomfield Access Television BATV
  
• Bloomfield Department of Social Services
  

-Consumer Donations

• Bloomfield Early Learning Center
  
• Bernard Buddy Jordan Foundation
  
• Gardner’s House
  
• Homes for the Brave, Applied Behavioral
  

REhabilitation

• Lift Every Voice and Sing LEVAS
  
• National Coalition 100 Black Women
  
• PetalShare
  
• New England Donor Services
  
• Lion’s Club

Champion of Food Equity

Nancy Bowden is a Connecticut native ​currently living in Bloomfield. Having ​caught the gardening bug from her ​grandmother, she has planted in ever-​larger plots for over 40 years. She has ​both perennial berries and annual ​vegetables in her backyard garden, and ​they take turns doing well and doing ​poorly each year. Since completing the ​UConn Extension Master Gardener ​program in 2013, she helps manage a ​public demonstration organic garden in ​Windsor’s Northwest Park and is ALWAYS ​up for a tour of other people’s farming ​efforts, happily trading techniques, ​secrets and the occasional samples.

Nancy ​Bowden

After reading Closing the Food Gap, a book written in 2008 by then Executive ​Director of Hartford Food Systems Mark Winne, Ms. Bowden has been an informal ​student of the way governmental policy and charitable organizations can often miss ​the mark when it comes to addressing social inequity, including hunger and access to ​healthy food. Despite the growth in food banks and networks for distributing excess ​food within local communities, the percentage of Connecticut residents known to be ​“food insecure” has not been reduced.

She is uplifted by the surge of creativity and determination resulting in new farmers ​and new models for farming that are emerging all over Connecticut and New ​England, and is anxious to play a part in promoting those movements and removing ​the barriers to land and resources for local growers.

Champion of Food Equity

Robin Saunders has been a ​community "actionist" in ​Boston for 40 years, seeking ​and sharing information so ​people and families in the ​community have access to ​opportunities for improved ​living conditions, health and ​wellbeing.

Robin

Saunders

In her personal journey, food has sometimes been a roadblock to better ​health, so for the past 25 years, she's prioritized nutrition and the healing ​powers of natural and less processed food. Ten plus years of growing ​vegetables in community gardens for her own family has blossomed into ​her becoming one of Boston's newest urban farmers, now growing food on ​a small scale, to benefit many more families in the community.

Check out her urban farm at www.linktr.ee/LynsteadMAJAfarm

Guest Speaker

Charles ​Christie

Charles J. Christie, born and raised in the ​North End of Hartford, Connecticut by ​Luther B. and Dorothy Christie, is the ​seventh of eight children who grew up with ​a deep sense of pride for the City of ​Hartford. Charles and his wife Gina, who ​have been married for 38 years, reside in ​Bloomfield, CT, where they have raised ​three children. Together, they have ​instilled a passion for community service in ​their children, a trait that Charles ​inherited from his own parents, who were ​also dedicated community volunteers.

Charles graduated from Northwest Catholic High School and went on to earn an associate ​degree in Business Management and Marketing from Greater Hartford Community College.

In 1990, Charles took on the role of President of the Friends of Keney Park, with a mission to ​develop, maintain, and enhance one of the nation’s oldest parks. When the Friends of Keney ​Park ceased their sponsorship of the Family Day Festival, Charles founded Family Day ​Enterprises Inc. to continue the tradition. For twenty-five years, he served as Event ​Coordinator and led fundraising efforts, driven by a love for the park where he spent his ​childhood.

Charles's commitment to the arts and community is further exemplified by his involvement ​with the Greater Hartford Festival of Jazz. He joined the festival's board in 1995, became ​Vice President in 1998, and was appointed President in 2009, a position he still holds. Under ​his leadership, the festival has grown to be one of the largest free public festivals in the ​country, attracting over 100,000 attendees annually.

Professionally, Charles has been employed at Travelers for over thirty years and currently ​serves as a Team Lead for Desktop Services, running the Cyber Link. He also holds the ​position of Assistant Pastor at New Covenant Baptist Church in Bloomfield and serves on the ​Board of the Bushnell Park Conservancy.

Charles Christie’s lifelong passion for community service, music, and the arts has made a ​profound impact on the Hartford area. His dedication to uplifting and bringing people ​together continues to inspire and foster pride within the community.

Organization of the Year Keney Park ​Sustainability Project (KPSP)

Herb Virgo

Founder and Executive Director, Keney Park Sustainability Project (KPSP)

Herb Virgo is the Founder and Executive Director of the Keney Park ​Sustainability Project (KPSP), where he has led the management of a 693-​acre public park for 15 years, coordinating a team of temporary staff and ​thousands of volunteers. With 4 years of farming experience, Herb has ​developed community-based food systems, farmers markets, and ​aquaponics grow towers.

He has successfully partnered with corporations like Cigna and ESPN to ​mobilize over 2,000 volunteers for urban agriculture initiatives. Herb is a ​certified Forest Practitioner, Tree Warden, and active member of the ​Connecticut Urban Forest Council.

With 26 years in education and personnel ​training, Herb has overseen the training ​and coordination of more than 2,000 ​volunteers and created a mobile teaching ​kitchen featured in the Hartford Courant ​and on Fox 61. He secures $100K in ​annual grants to support local food ​distribution networks and manages ​produce sales to local restaurants, ​schools, and farmers markets.

Herb holds a Bachelor's degree in ​Sociology Based Human Relations from ​Connecticut College and excels in urban ​agriculture, aquaponics, forest ​management, and therapeutic group work.

Thank you

Great Growing PArtners

Thank you

Great Growing PArtners

Thank you

Great Growing PArtners

Our heartfelt thanks is extended to the ​Cambria Team for their tireless support!

Thank you

Great Growing PArtners

Gather55 55 Bartholomew Ave , Hartford CT’s First “pay what you can” restaurant with ​world class chefs and eclectic food. Gather55@handsonhartford for no charge dining ​requests

Fire X Forge 539 Broad St, Hartford restaurant | cafe | bar | catering connections ​fueled x food, forge city works social enterprise

Grocery on Broad 563 Broad Street, Hartford We believe in making quality groceries ​accessible to everyone in our community with an income based pricing model and ​stigma free membership process

Eleni Kavros DeGraw Food Security Advocate leading bi-partisan funding initiatives.

“No bootstraps are big enough when you’re working two jobs” https://teameleni.com

Tea & Tarot 91 Wall St Suite 2, Madison, CT 06443 Empowering individuals to live a ​healthy lifestyle and lead more fulfilling lives. Tea & Tarot is a small business with a big ​dream!

Anchor Spa 272 College Street, New Haven, CT- The audacious revival of a history-​making cocktail club and dive bar in downtown New Haven, since 1933

Uncle Waithley’s- premium brewed ginger beer with a scotch bonnet bite- bathed in ​the spirit of St Vincent and the Grenadines

Dr. Booze, CT- Anthony Deserio, an award winning Independent Hospitality, Spirit, and ​Beverage Consultant