From left: Shari-Lynn Cuomo Shore, Jeffrey Lounsbury and Joanna Kornafel at the Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen in New Haven. Courtesy photo

Young Lawyers More Than Double Donation to Food Charities

The Young Lawyers Section of the Connecticut Bar Association held its annual Horn of Plenty Food Drive last month, collecting more than double its fundraising goal, allowing the charities to provide more than 9,500 meals to residents and families in Hartford and Tolland counties.

Consisting of both an online drive and in-person donations, the food drive brought in nearly $3,600 in cash donations and about 700 pounds of food. Law firms across the state participated in collections.

"The 2019 Horn of Plenty Food Drive was a tremendous success thanks to the kindness of CBA members," said YLS Public Service co-directors Kyle McClain and Sara Saucier in a press release. "Participants demonstrated fantastic support for the drive's fundraising focus this year in helping us raise nearly $3,600—well beyond what we had imagined."

From left: Al Marino from Foodshare with Sara Saucier and Kyle McClain from the CBA YLS. Courtesy photo

While  monetary donations may feel impersonal, organizers said they put the money to good use. "Putting  those dollars into the hands of experts—like our partner Foodshare—results in a much more meaningful impact than any one person could make on his or her own," they noted.

Special thanks were conveyed to YLS executive committee member Johanna Katz and her colleagues at Pullman & Comley for their remarkable firmwide participation in the drive.

The CBA, founded in 1875, has more than 70 sections and committees, including the YLS, and produces more than 300 programs each year.

The YLS is a valuable social and networking group that encourages public service and promotes diversity and education of young and newly admitted practitioners through education, public service, and community programs.

The Connecticut Food Bank and Foodshare partners with the food industry, food growers, donors, and volunteers to distribute food to people across Connecticut.