by Stefano Mancini | May 27, 2026 | Uncategorized
Claudette works within DESK’s Drop-in & Resource Center and conducts street outreach to connect people living outside with basic needs support. She is also a tireless advocate at the municipal and state levels, calling for legislation to prevent and respond to homelessness, and she spoke at the State Capitol in February with the End Homelessness Caucus.
Claudette emphasized the impact the program had on her professional development, especially through meeting other practitioners in her cohort and at workshops at UConn Stamford and UConn Hartford.
“Most importantly, this experience is helping me better understand how to tell the story of DESK through data — demonstrating not only the need for our services, but also the impact we make within the community every day. Learning how to combine compassion, lived experience, and measurable outcomes has been one of the most valuable takeaways for me,” Claudette noted.
“I would like to sincerely thank Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen for encouraging staff to apply and invest in professional growth. I would also like to thank The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven for creating such a meaningful and much-needed program and for giving me the opportunity to learn a great deal about nonprofit leadership and service. I am truly looking forward to continuing this journey of growth, learning, and leadership.”
Programs like these help DESK’s staff grow into leaders who are better equipped to stand with and advocate for the people we serve. Learn more about the impact our staff is having on the community at deskct.org/blog.
by Luis Olmo-Rivera | May 14, 2026 | Dinner Program, Food Pantry, Hunger
“DESK is grateful for Liberty Bank’s ongoing support of our Dinner and Pantry Program. More than a quarter of New Haven’s residents face food insecurity each year. DESK helps individuals and families with chronic hunger, while also connecting them to a range of additional services that can assist with housing, financial stability, and overall health and well-being,” explained DESK’s Executive Director, Steve Werlin.
“Liberty Bank is proud to partner with the Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen to help individuals who experience food insecurity,” said Liberty Bank President and CEO David W. Glidden, who also serves as President of the Liberty Bank Foundation. “We believe in being ‘Community Kind,’ and we are able to make a meaningful difference in our community by joining forces with this great organization.”
DESK gratefully celebrates their continued partnership with Liberty Bank and the Liberty Bank Foundation to expand access to basic needs services in the New Haven community. When the community comes together, the community thrives.
About Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen:
Founded in 1987, DESK is a New Haven-based, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that serves people experiencing homelessness or living in poverty by providing food assistance and services that promote health, community, and equity. Each year, DESK serves more than 6,000 people through a nightly dinner program, a weekly food pantry, and New Haven’s only low-barrier, Downtown Drop-in & Resource Center for unhoused people. More information can be found at www.deskct.org.
About Liberty Bank Foundation
Since its inception in 1997, Liberty Bank Foundation has awarded over $20 million in grants to nonprofit organizations throughout Liberty Bank’s market area. Following the Bank’s ‘Be Community Kind’ spirit, the Foundation seeks to improve the lives of individuals and families by investing in three key areas: Education & Training, Affordable Housing, and Food.
# # #
