DERBY — In this week’s episode of “Navel Gazing: The Valley Indy Podcast,” Rebbeca Toms of The Valley United Way joins the broadcast to talk about two important issues:
1. This year’s ‘Harvest House,’ which is taking place virtually this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
2. The 2020 “ALICE Report,” which gives a glimpse of how local families are doing locally (spoiler alert: many of us are one emergency away from financial ruin).
Press play to listen!
Harvest House is a tradition in the Naugatuck Valley organized by The Valley United Way. It was previously spearheaded by Patricia Tarasovic, who retired in March.
The event benefits the local food banks so families don’t have to go hungry. Click here for a list of local food banks, including contact info.
Usually volunteers gather to build a 400-square-foot ‘house’ made of donated food on the shores of the Housatonic River in Shelton. Precautions taken to limit the transmission of COVID-19 have precluded “Harvest House” from happening in person this year.
So The Valley United Way is hosting this year’s event online, and hopes to raise $10,000 for local food banks by Oct. 31. Click here for The Valley United Way ‘Harvest House’ website, and click here for a press release from the organization.
ALICE stands for “Asset Limited. Income Restrained. Employed.” It’s an attempt to quantify how much local families earn, and to compare it to how much money is needed for the basic necessities in life.
The data shows large populations of the lower Valley — especially in Ansonia and Derby — are struggling to make ends meet. And yet the cost of living keeps increasing, while wages remain stagnant.
ALICE Valley Data by The Valley Indy on Scribd
Click play at the top of this post to hear Toms talk about the report, and how the data can be used to help shape public policy decisions.
Sponsorship
“Navel Gazing: The Valley Indy Podcast” is made possible in part thanks to the support of ValleyGivesBack.org.
Where To Listen:
“Navel Gazing: The Valley Indy Podcast,” is available on …
