June 19, 2025 • 3 mins
Christina Walton, Executive Director of the Seymour Oxford Food Bank, joins us live from the Travelers Championship. The food bank, located in the lower level of the Seymour Community Center, offers in-store shopping for families in need with a simple intake process and income-based guidelines.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Good morning, Thank you for listening to Community Access. I'm
Allison Demurs. I'm here are the Travelers Championship in Cromwell.
My guest today is Christina Walton. She is executive director
of the Seymour Oxford Food Bank.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Good morning, good morning, thanks for having me.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
My pleasure. For people who don't know about the Oxford
Seymour Oxford Food Bank, tell me all.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
So we are a food bank in Seymour. We're in
the lower level of the Seymour Community Center. We offer
in store shopping, so our visitors come in, they make
an appointment, very white, intake process, name, address, family size,
(00:43):
and we have income guidelines that we follow through Connecticut
Food Chair. So just to give an idea family for
is ninety six thousand dollars. So if you're an at
her below that, you're able to use.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
The food bank.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
And we want people to use the food bank. So
then you come in with one of our volunteers and
make your way with a shopping carriage, just like you
want at a grocery store and pick out the items
that work best for you and your family.
Speaker 1 (01:08):
That's wonderful. Where are you getting the food from?
Speaker 2 (01:11):
So we're partners with Connecticut Food Share, which they're huge support.
We do a lot of food rescue, so the grocery
stores will no longer keep food out on the shelf,
but it's still very good to eat. We will take
that and distribute that instead of it going into the garbage.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
What would you say to somebody who may feel embarrassed
or ashamed and doesn't want to take advantage of this
amazing service.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
So the first thing I would say is don't ever
worry about taking advantage because there's food. We have food
to go around. We understand the embarrassment and the shame,
but we want you to know that you are not
doing anything wrong. This is not your fault and we
are here as a community to stand with you through that,
(01:56):
and we want you to come visit.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
Yes, because it can affect any walk of life that
any time.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
Yes, you can be okay one moment and just some car,
any new tires, could throw you completely off.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
Absolutely, and people will spend money on medicine or foods
for their pets instead of food for themselves. What kind
of impact have you seen from people who've used your services.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
I think it's been a huge impact. And yes, everybody
who visits us leaves with food. But you see the
hope and the encouragement and the ugh They get it
right when people walk through our doors and we leave,
And I think that is the greatest gift we can
give anybody.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
Yes, when people get it, that is just everything. You
just feel acknowledged and validated. Yes, do you have any
events that are coming up?
Speaker 2 (02:49):
So right now we're running our summer Food to Kids program,
so we replace school meals. We provide weekly bags to
families who sign up, which provide everything that a child
will get at school, so by breakfast, nacs and lunch,
and that really seems to help our families get through
the summer break which we know can be extra tough
(03:10):
on the grocery though.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
Absolutely, and you're here today with Bertie's for Charity because
like every other nonprofit, donations help to keep you going.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
Absolutely, we cannot do this without everybody's help.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
So right now, if you go to Seymour Oxford Foodbank
dot org or Travelers Championship dot com, for every dollar
you donate, Webster Bank will donate fifteen cents, So please
do it right now, make a donation and then you
can find out about all of the other programs and services,
or maybe they could volunteer or sponsor an event.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (03:43):
Absolutely, I'm speaking with Christina Walton, executive director of the
Seymour Oxford Food Bank. Thank you so much for being
here today and for serving the community.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
Thank you for having me
Good morning, Thank you for listening to Community Access. I'm
Allison Demurs. I'm here are the Travelers Championship in Cromwell.
My guest today is Christina Walton. She is executive director
of the Seymour Oxford Food Bank.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Good morning, good morning, thanks for having me.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
My pleasure. For people who don't know about the Oxford
Seymour Oxford Food Bank, tell me all.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
So we are a food bank in Seymour. We're in
the lower level of the Seymour Community Center. We offer
in store shopping, so our visitors come in, they make
an appointment, very white, intake process, name, address, family size,
(00:43):
and we have income guidelines that we follow through Connecticut
Food Chair. So just to give an idea family for
is ninety six thousand dollars. So if you're an at
her below that, you're able to use.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
The food bank.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
And we want people to use the food bank. So
then you come in with one of our volunteers and
make your way with a shopping carriage, just like you
want at a grocery store and pick out the items
that work best for you and your family.
Speaker 1 (01:08):
That's wonderful. Where are you getting the food from?
Speaker 2 (01:11):
So we're partners with Connecticut Food Share, which they're huge support.
We do a lot of food rescue, so the grocery
stores will no longer keep food out on the shelf,
but it's still very good to eat. We will take
that and distribute that instead of it going into the garbage.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
What would you say to somebody who may feel embarrassed
or ashamed and doesn't want to take advantage of this
amazing service.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
So the first thing I would say is don't ever
worry about taking advantage because there's food. We have food
to go around. We understand the embarrassment and the shame,
but we want you to know that you are not
doing anything wrong. This is not your fault and we
are here as a community to stand with you through that,
(01:56):
and we want you to come visit.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
Yes, because it can affect any walk of life that
any time.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
Yes, you can be okay one moment and just some car,
any new tires, could throw you completely off.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
Absolutely, and people will spend money on medicine or foods
for their pets instead of food for themselves. What kind
of impact have you seen from people who've used your services.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
I think it's been a huge impact. And yes, everybody
who visits us leaves with food. But you see the
hope and the encouragement and the ugh They get it
right when people walk through our doors and we leave,
And I think that is the greatest gift we can
give anybody.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
Yes, when people get it, that is just everything. You
just feel acknowledged and validated. Yes, do you have any
events that are coming up?
Speaker 2 (02:49):
So right now we're running our summer Food to Kids program,
so we replace school meals. We provide weekly bags to
families who sign up, which provide everything that a child
will get at school, so by breakfast, nacs and lunch,
and that really seems to help our families get through
the summer break which we know can be extra tough
(03:10):
on the grocery though.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
Absolutely, and you're here today with Bertie's for Charity because
like every other nonprofit, donations help to keep you going.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
Absolutely, we cannot do this without everybody's help.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
So right now, if you go to Seymour Oxford Foodbank
dot org or Travelers Championship dot com, for every dollar
you donate, Webster Bank will donate fifteen cents, So please
do it right now, make a donation and then you
can find out about all of the other programs and services,
or maybe they could volunteer or sponsor an event.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (03:43):
Absolutely, I'm speaking with Christina Walton, executive director of the
Seymour Oxford Food Bank. Thank you so much for being
here today and for serving the community.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
Thank you for having me
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