The Palace Theater Partners With United Way For Food Drive

The impact to society that injustice and poverty cause are themes prevalent in the storyline of the beloved musical Les Misérables that is coming to the Palace Theater December 3 - 8. Similarly, today in Greater Waterbury food insecurity is a harsh reality and why the United Way's annual summer campaign Stock the Pantry is a cause that resonates with many. Once school is out many Greater Waterbury children from low income households go hungry, from missed breakfast and lunch meals they ordinarily would receive at school, as their families struggle to stretch their food budgets during the summer months.

The Palace Theater's volunteers and staff are again participating in the UNITED WAY OF GREATER WATERBURY'S Stock the Pantry campaign by inviting the public to drop -off food staples at the theater to help ensure local families in need will have enough to eat at this time of the year. A bin will be in the theater's Box Office Lobby 100 East Main St. from June 1 - June 20. Simply pull up in front of the theater's and run in to drop off your contribution.

There is a friendly challenge among the local businesses and organizations participating in the Stock the Pantry campaign, to not only collect the most food by weight, but to create a visually winning display of the food collected. To that end the Palace team plans to build a barricade from the food collected there, reminiscent of the one that figures so prominently in the storyline of Les Misérables, a tale of the haves and have nots during the French Revolution and the indomitable strength of the human spirit in the face of punishing adversity. The display will be able to be viewed as it is built, from the collected food, in the street side window at the Palace. At the end of the campaign all the food will be collected for distribution by United Way to local food pantries.

Suggested foods for donation include:

• • Canned Beans (low sodium) & Rice (5 pound bags or less)
  • Canned Fruit in 100% fruit juice or water, unsweetened
  • Canned Tuna, Salmon & Chicken in water (3oz - 5oz) / Light dressing & Mayo
  • Canned Vegetables (low/no sodium - 8oz - 15oz)
  • Cereal (whole grain/low sugar) (Cheerios, Honey Bunches Oats, Cinnamon Life, Oatmeal)
  • Dried Fruit (Raisins, Apricots, Prunes, Apples, etc.)
  • Granola, Nuts & Seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, etc.)
  • Pasta, Spaghetti & Tomato Sauce (low/no sodium)
  • Peanut Butter & 100% Fruit Spread
  • Shelf-stable 1% Milk & Shelf-stable Unsweetened Soy /Almond Milk
  • Soups, Stews & Chili (low/no sodium)
  • Whole Grain Crackers (Triscuit, Wheat Thins, etc.) & Rice Cakes

The Palace Theater Box office hours to drop off food are Mon - Friday 10 am - 5pm. For further information about Stock the Pantry contact the United Way of Greater Waterbury www.unitedwaygw.org .

The Palace's primary purpose is to revitalize the Greater Waterbury community through the presentation of the performing arts and educational initiatives in collaboration with area cultural and educational institutions. Its mission is to preserve and operate the historic Palace Theater as a performing arts center and community gathering place that provides a focal point of cultural activity and educational outreach for diverse audiences.

For more information, visit: www.palacetheaterct.org.

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