Three hours into the volunteer shift, the UConn School of Public Policy (SPP) team had made great progress sorting and repackaging boxes of apples, red potatoes, green peppers, and mixed greens for distribution. The blueberries, however, proved more challenging. Assistant Research Professors Lydia Wileden and Elizabeth Burland – both with purple-stained gloves – carefully removed individual berries past their prime. While blueberries added little weight to the more than 14,000 pounds of food packaged that day, their quality control was just as important. 

The day’s total – an impressive 14,136 pounds – equates to 11,780 meals for Connecticut residents experiencing food insecurity. Nothing goes to waste in this system: produce unsuitable for distribution, such as those overripe blueberries or wilted greens, is donated to local pig farmers. 

More than a dozen SPP and Institute for Municipal and Regional Policy (IMRP) staff, faculty, and interns participated in the team-building volunteer event, one of many ways the School of Public Policy and Connecticut Foodshare have partnered over the past 15 years.  

“The values of both organizations are very aligned,” said Jennie Hirsch, Connecticut Foodshare’s Chief of Staff and a current UConn MPA Fellow. “There are a lot of UConn people here, so everyone has a personal connection to the school and the university. We’ve worked closely side by side for a long time and we both want to find solutions for the betterment of our neighbors and for Connecticut.”  

Before the shift, Hirsch joined SPP staffers for a tour of Connecticut Foodshare’s Wallingford headquarters, led by Stewardship Manager Arnold Berman, a 2023 graduate of UConn Public Policy’s Encore Connecticut program. Encore Connecticut is a nationally recognized initiative that helps corporate and public sector professionals transition into the nonprofit sector for their next career chapter.  

“The best way to educate people about Connecticut Foodshare is to get them in the building,” says Berman. “The more we do that, the more they understand the problem (of food insecurity in Connecticut) and what we do to help solve the problem.”  

When Berman joined Connecticut Foodshare as an Encore Fellow, tours were only offered by request. His research into other organizations’ methods led to a plan for more engagement with donors, corporations, and the public. Today, tours are held every Tuesday and Thursday at 11:45 a.m., open to individuals and groups. A Fellow from last year created a training manual so employees from any department could lead tours, expanding outreach and furthering employee engagement. This year’s Encore fellowship is to work on an outreach plan to spread awareness of the program. 

“I’m the stewardship manager but everyone who is out there fundraising is a steward,” Berman explains. “Our top priorities are to make sure that donors understand and know the impact of their gifts and that we start and continue opportunities for corporations and volunteers to be involved with us.” 

The Connecticut Foodshare–School of Public Policy partnership began in 2010, the first year of Encore Connecticut. Since then, more than a dozen Encore students have completed fellowships with the organization, with some later joining as staff. Fellows choose from about 40 nonprofits – primarily in Hartford, Bridgeport, and Fairfield – that offer such opportunities.  

For Berman, the fellowship was a “next act” after selling the events business he led for three decades. Seeking to satisfy his “thirst for knowledge,” he decided to enroll in the 4-month program.  

“I hadn’t been in school in 40 years so I thought it would be fun to take a class, meet some interesting people, and get a different perspective on things,” Berman says. “I figured it wasn’t a huge commitment and hopefully it’ll turn into something great but if not, I’ll learn more about the non-profit world and be a better board member and volunteer.” 

“I didn’t know the outcome, but I knew something good would come out of it.” – Arnold Berman of his enrollment in Encore Connecticut at UConn’s School of Public Policy

Berman notes that Connecticut Foodshare has had more than a half dozen Encore Fellows who have become employees and that the organization is “very embracing” of late-stage career seekers who have many years still to give. 

The work, he says, is deeply fulfilling. 

“When I meet our neighbors in need, and you hear their stories about what Foodshare provides for them, it’s easy to come to work every day. I feel like I’m doing good in the world which is what I wanted for my Encore career.” 

“I personally feel like I’m a much better Chief of Staff and team member and friend and partner because of my experiences in the Fellowship program.”  – Jennie Hirsch, School of Public Policy MPA Executive Track Fellow

Hirsch’s path is similarly fulfilling though in reverse order. After leaving corporate work to focus on mission-driven service, she served as executive assistant to Connecticut Foodshare President and CEO Jason Jakubowski, also a School of Public Policy graduate (MPA 2001). Hirsch’s role expanded over the years to include government relations and policy work before her promotion Chief of Staff. 

“Working here has taught me a lot about collaboration and working towards a larger goal,” Hirsch says. “We can use our platform to leverage positive change. The outcome has been transformational to me in the work that I do.” 

Seeking to “grow out, not just up,” Hirsch enrolled in UConn’s School of Public Policy MPA Fellows program, an executive track designed for working professionals. She is now in her second year, with plans to graduate in May 2026.  

“I had been thinking about going back to school for a while,” she says. “From the minute I got here, there was not a person I met who wasn’t singing the praises of UConn and the School of Public Policy.” 

MPA Fellows meet on Saturdays, allowing students to work full-time while earning their degree. Five Saturdays equal a full semester course. This term, Hirsch is studying research design and HR management, and taking PSELC workshops – development workshops offered by The Public Service Executive Leadership Collaborative – for additional credits.

“It’s been a real gift in my life, having the ability to build relationships with peers in this thoughtful and purposeful space,” Hirsch says. “The support from the faculty and staff has been incredible. It can be a vulnerable experience to go back to school – learning what you know and don’t know – and this is an environment where you can explore that and grow. I personally feel like I’m a much better Chief of Staff and team member and friend and partner because of my experiences in the Fellowship program.” 

The partnership benefits both students and host organizations. Connecticut Foodshare also participates in the Internship and Professional Practice (IPP) program, which places students with nonprofits for 15 hours a week for the academic year. In return, students receive a tuition scholarship and stipend along with the practical experience gained. 

“They have been a wonderful addition to our team,” Hirsch says of the IPP students. “I’ve supervised many of them and  I’ve learned more from them than they learn from me. We offer whatever we can to engage these students, give them experience to keep them grounded in and working in Connecticut, such as the development of the Husky Harvest pantries on UConn campuses.” 

The relationship came full circle during the volunteer day, with Hirsch and Berman leading the tour and School of Public Policy staff, faculty, and interns packaging fresh produce – including those pesky blueberries – for the benefit of their Connecticut neighbors. Two organizations, nourishing bodies and minds, fueling opportunities and growth for the greater good. 

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WANT TO ASSIST IN OUR GROWTH FOR GOOD?

SPP has set up a “virtual food drive” through Connecticut Foodshare.

Your donation – of any amount – goes directly to battle food insecurity in Connecticut. Join the SPP team today!

Scan the QR code on the right –> or CLICK HERE to visit our Virtual Food Drive link!

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Visit the Connecticut Foodshare website and learn more about other volunteer opportunities.

To find out more about Encore Connecticut, CLICK HERE.

To learn about the MPA Fellows / Executive track program, CLICK HERE.