Hot dog stand owner brings food for homeless residents
New London — Karen Gifford closed her business early on Friday afternoon, hauled it across town and set it up again in the parking lot of St. Mary's Star of the Sea Church to offer free food for the city's homeless residents.
As the air cooled, people walking back to the shelter caught a glimpse of her hot dog stand's blue-and-yellow umbrella and stopped in for a meal.
"Unexpected, but nice," said a man staying at Covenant Shelter, who accepted a sausage and plate of food.
Another took a hot dog, but eyed the potato salad.
"I haven't had potato salad in three years," he said.
Gifford, a Waterford resident, said she has "always donated but it hits harder" since a member of her family has experienced homelessness.
Her hot dog stand usually caters to the dealerships and busy people near her Colman Street location, she said, but there are also plenty of shelter residents she knows down there.
It was with one of her customers, Covenant Shelter Director Phyllis Cappuccio, that she planned a picnic for those staying at the shelter.
"I just want to help people because you never know," Gifford said.
During the day Friday, she offered free hot dogs to anyone who brought a donation she could give to the shelter.
By the evening, she and her husband, Kevin Gifford, were hauling boxes of toothpaste, toothbrushes, detergent and other household items — in addition to a batch of chili with macaroni, some potato salad and cookies — out of the trunk of his Dodge Durango.
The shelter serves lunches and dinners to the 40 or so people that stay there, staff member Stephanie Grandchamp said, but its always nice for someone to step in and mix it up for the residents.
A man, who had been staying at the New London Homeless Hospitality Shelter and did not want to be identified, grabbed a few hot dogs and sat at a picnic table.
He had only gotten out of jail the day before, he said, grabbing a toothbrush and toothpaste, and only had what would fit in his backpack.
"This is from a dentist, this will last," he said.
Maybe next month, Gifford said, she'll try to do another picnic and make some soups — a real passion of hers.
"I just want people to know that people care, that no one is too small to help," she said.
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