Hartford Business Journal

L I F E T I M E A C H I E V E M E N T AWA R D S 2 0 1 5 26 Hartford Business Journal • September 21, 2015 www.HartfordBusiness.com Faenza, Fonti devote life to feeding Hartford's poor By John Stearns jstearns@HartfordBusiness.com S isters Maureen Faenza and Theresa Fonti reached out to Hart- ford's poor and hungry 35 years ago by offering free coffee and stale doughnuts. The Catholic nuns never dreamed then that their mission to feed the poor would become what it is today. "Never," they said, almost in unison, from their modest office at 1453 Main St. Today, they steer a $1.5 million-a-year enterprise, The House of Bread, that feeds, shelters, educates and uplifts children and adults. For those in need, the sisters and their organization are a beacon of light and dignity. "We never had a plan," said Fonti, 76, co-director with Faenza, 69. "Our purpose was to go out and feed people. Our purpose was to be present to people who were sort of rejects or alone or needed companionship." They started small, setting up a table in the teen center at Sacred Heart Church, but no needy came, so they sought a location more visible to the poor, finding one at the San Juan Center on Main Street. They were soon discovered and later moved to a larger location and expanded several more times over the years, adding services beyond food as they saw the need. Faenza and Fonti are a sponsored ministry of their community, the Sisters of St. Joseph. The sponsorship ensures the mission will continue after they're gone. The work is sometimes challenging. But they're fortunate to have what Faenza calls a wonderful board of directors. Their team also includes 22 full- and part-time staff and about 150 to 200 volunteers. House of Bread comprises the soup kitchen at 27 Chestnut St., serving breakfast and lunch meals totaling about 1,500 per week, and Kids Café, preparing about 500 meals a day delivered after school to children at various locations. House of Bread also provides transitional housing for men and women in substance abuse recovery programs; a day shelter; Helping our Mothers through Education (HOME), where women with children can prepare for their GEDs and receive child care; child mentoring; English and refugee services through Jubliee House; job training through its Food Education and Service Training program (FEAST); and a thrift shop. Carl Zyskowski, president of the House of Bread board, said he is heartened by the growth of the organization, which "touches upwards of 1,000 people every day," after being founded "out of a trunk filled with doughnuts and coffee." What it does is "vast and it's magical," he said, crediting Faenza and Fonti for their work. "They've had the ability to touch so many lives in so many different ways for the past 35 years," he said. House of Bread probably has the most daily impact on Hartford's needy, Zyskowski said. "The dynamic of these two women brings out goodness in people," he said. "People want to go there to help or to volunteer because of what they've created and it's an amazing thing." Faenza and Fonti enjoy seeing those they help improve their lives. "Yes we're feeding people and we'll probably always feed people, but what helps me keep going is the people who have gotten up by the boot- straps and done something," Faenza said. "To see families and little kids come and today they're going to college — you know it's wonderful." Their work can be extremely emotional. One example was a man, who about 25 years ago visited them often for breakfast. They visited him on Christmas Eve in the abandoned building where he lived on the dirt floor of a basement. He gave them a card with Merry Christmas mis- spelled and $1 inside. They still have that card and dollar bill, Fonti said. They also work as a team, complementing each other's personali- ties and strengths. "We get along very well; we're very different," Fonti said. "I think I'm much more structured than Maureen, but she's taught me some freedoms, too, like letting go of some things, and not worrying about it. So it's a good balance." Continued on page 28 P H O T O | S T E V E L A S C H E V E R Theresa Fonti (standing left) and Maureen Faenza (sitting right).

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