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Kim Bracale: Right at Home with North Haven Community Services Department

Kim Bracale grew up in North Haven, eventually graduating from North Haven High School. After getting married, she and her husband Joe lived briefly in Hamden before raising their three sons in Wallingford. Kim has always had a fondness for her hometown, though, and now that her boys are older, she wanted to find a year-round job.

A year ago, she was hired as a senior clerk at the Town of North Haven’s Community Services Department.

“I absolutely love it,” says Kim. “It feels good to come back to North Haven to work. It feels like I’m home.”

At Quinnipiac University, Kim studied psychology and after graduating, she got a job at the Kennedy Center as a case manager and intake specialist. After she had her sons—who are now 19, 15, and 13—she spent several years at home raising them before taking a job with the Wallingford school system.

“Once the boys were older, I wanted to get back to working year-round and this came up,” says Kim. “The work with the food bank, mental health clinic, and administrative duties were a perfect fit.”

Kim enjoys the diversity of her job as her duties include everything from payroll to town evictions and clinic work at the mental health center and being administrator of the food bank.

“I do a little of everything—the pieces are all a good mix for me,” says Kim. “I enjoy interacting with the residents and knowing that we’re helping them.”

This time of year tends to be particularly busy for Kim’s department as, in addition to its counseling services, it oversees the Energy Assistance Program, Thanksgiving and Christmas meal distribution, and the Toy Bank.

About 60 families “shopped” for their Thanksgiving meals through the North Haven Food Bank and Kim expects about the same number for the Wednesday, Dec. 14 distribution. The pantry, which is located in the Town Hall Annex, is set up like a store and residents can pick out the items they would like.

“We don’t put a bag together for them—they get to go in and shop around themselves,” says Kim. “That way they don’t go home with something they don’t like or won’t use.”

Being the administrator of the Food Bank, Kim also receives the many donations from town residents and groups. She notes that there are residents who bring in a dozen or more turkeys each year and that the department has relationships with Stop & Shop, local churches, and trucking companies. Elementary schools also hold collections.

“We picked up from Montowese on Nov. 18 and Green Acres brought in boxes and boxes of food in while it was pouring rain,” says Kim. “It’s so heartwarming and I can’t thank them enough. Everyone is this town is very generous.”

One of the most important things to Kim about being the administrator of the Food Bank is that everyone feels comfortable. Residents can contact the Community Services Department to get access to the Food Bank by verifying that they are a resident and providing income information. As the Food Bank serves anywhere from 30 to 50 families each month, she takes appointments for monthly visits so families have privacy while they shop.

“We tell them everyone has ups and downs and they should feel no shame, we want to make them feel comfortable, warm, and welcome,” says Kim. “Sometimes you have to really coerce people to come in and some people don’t even know we’re here. We’re here to help people through tough times.”

While Kim has only been with the Community Services Department for one year, she has already seen some people find their way to better times, noting that some who were once on the receiving end of the Food Bank are now able to donate. She has seen other people give back as volunteers, checking expiration dates, stocking the food, and more.

In addition to looking for donations for the holiday food distributions, Kim reminds residents that the North Haven Food Pantry is always accepting donations of non-perishable items, particularly cereal, tuna, peanut butter and jelly, jarred sauce, instant mashed potatoes, soup, canned fruit, rice.

“The staples go really quick,” says Kim, who enjoys power-walking, Pilates, reading, cooking, and spending time with her family. “Once we put it out there, people are really responsive.”

Even though her work with the Food Bank is a big part of her job, Kim also enjoys her work at the counseling center where she welcomes clients before their meetings with clinicians.

“Some days can be a little draining, especially in the clinic, but you know you’re here for them,” says Kim. “We develop relationships through our work and our clients are glad we’re here in town. I like interacting with people so this is my niche. I feel at home here. I’m very lucky to have found this job and I truly love this position.”

Donations of non-perishables, money, or gift cards can be made to the Community Services Department in the North Haven Town Hall Annex weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For information or to make an appointment, call 203-239-5321 ext. 500.