After 40 Years of CFBF, StuCo Switches it Up

Rose Porosoff ’27 Assistant News Editor

The Connecticut Food Bank Fundraiser (CFBF) has been around for roughly 40 years and is now in its peak
time of development. Big changes came to the CFBF this year.

The Connecticut Food Bank Fundraiser (CFBF) has been around for roughly 40 years, and is now in its peak
time of development. Big changes came to the CFBF this year.

Student Council President Alexander Skula ’25 announced the kickoff for this transformation in the November 4 assembly. These changes include a new name — CFBF now stands for the Connecticut Food Share Benefit Fundraiser, a new grade competition system, a new documentary on food insecurity and a partnership between StuCo and Maroon Key. Street fundraising ran from November 9 through December 20. This is necessary because only 8 of the 20+ stores Hopkins previously fundraised outside of agreed to take part this year, meanwhile fewer people carry cash today than ever.

The need to shift the structure of CFBF’s traditional fundraising model was the impetus for these modifications. Skula explained that the Food Share “really depend[s] on our fundraiser, as we’re one of the largest dollar amount donors to their cause.” However, the customary method of fundraising outside of stores has been less effective. Student Council Vice President Sarah Galvani-Townsend ’25 shared that “around 50% of our donations come from parents,” which presents an opportunity to broaden support for this important cause. Camille Pittard ’29 thought that “at least in the J School, I don’t think there’s enough hype around CFBF to make it on the forefront of people’s minds or make it feel super important.”

For the first time ever, Maroon Key will join StuCo for CFBF. Maroon Key’s role will be working to “educate the school community a little bit more beyond [the] surface level” about food insecurity through the documentary and social media campaigns, said Skula. Both on Maroon Key, Ripley Chance ’26 and Munib Kassem ’25 are working on the documentary. Chance explained that they’re “going to try to get some first hand information from experts” because “people think that people are hungry, they don’t have food, they don’t have money for
food, but it can be a lot more complex than that.” Skula said this approach “would show that we’re sort of more
than just the fundraiser, that we care about the cause” and could even “entice other people to potentially sup-
port the cause, whether in the Connecticut Food Share itself, or if they’re across the country, then whatever food bank or whatever food pantry they have in their area.”

StuCo is starting a period of exploration for the CFBF fundraising methods. StuCo doesn’t “want to
change everything right away this year,” Skula explained. Instead, they “want to sort of try things and see what works and what doesn’t.” One change is to encourage the entire community of Hopkins clubs to find creative ways to work with the CFBF, such as launching a new event with clubs or even advertising the fundraiser. They are extending their partnership to clubs, and “knowing that it’s something for CFBF” would “be a great way for clubs, especially smaller clubs, to sort of get some publicity,” said Skula.

The competition among Hopkins students to raise money for the CFBF was also changed instead of the most
hours. The competition is now “by counting percentage points rather than hours,” shared Galvani-Townsend. She added that StuCo hoped “this will boost participation and school spirit by increasing the grade participation.” Karolina Jasaitis ‘27 believed the new competition will “entice people to contribute more.” Lora Kenyon ‘28 thought that the new competition makes it so “now that I’ve done it, I’m not going to be helping out my grade anymore.”

Skula proposed more changes to CFBF, one being another new form of collaborative fundraising with

restaurants “You can set a weekend or a day or an event where a certain percentage of the revenue that [a restaurant] collect[s] from you goes to the cause.” Henry Tanner ’25 has been participating in CFBF every year since 7th grade and said “I really like the idea of restaurant fundraisers and partnering with businesses that way.” He thought “it will allow people to broaden the scopes of catering to help the cause and encourage action.” Another strategy is expanding waffle sales and “testing out in person volunteering at the food share itself, which can sort of substitute, in terms of number hours, with street fundraising and then some other
events that are not yet set in stone,” said Skula in assembly.

Chloe Wang ’26, said that “Maroon Key is working to expand fundraising opportunities/avenues, going beyond just storefront.” She added that Maroon Key “worked on a partnership with Chef Duff from [Sunrise Cafe] to raise awareness” on food insecurity.

Another new aspect of CFBF this year is the documentary on food insecurity and CFBF. Kassem said

that he knows “COVID just killed the vibe for a lot of different things, but hopefully we can get this thing back.” The documentary is set to be finished “early December,” said Chance. Chance explained that the goal of the documentary is to “push people to go out and fundraise and to educate them about what we’re fundraising for.” Kassem explained that he wanted “that feeling of enthusiasm” and “camaraderie that I felt in the seventh grade” about CFBF. Ariel Adams ’27 said she thought the documentary will help raise awareness on food insecurity, although “it all depends on how much it plays on people’s emotions.” Skula explained that he hoped the changes will “more deeply involve more of the community.”

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After 40 Years of CFBF, StuCo Switches it Up