Summer food and fun are pretty much all Jane Ferrall has been thinking about — and will be thinking about — for the foreseeable future.

Two months ago, Jane, a Guilford resident, joined Community Dining Room (CDR), based in Branford, as its new Program Coordinator. Jane’s first task was to take on coordinating the newest iteration of a very popular CDR program, free summer Community Dinners on the Green.

This summer, residents living in the four towns served by CDR—Branford, East Haven, North Branford, and Guilford—are invited to come out and enjoy not one, but two free summer Community Dinners in the great outdoors weekly.

With a big boost from area restaurant sponsors, local businesses, and CDR volunteers, Jane has coordinated a summer filled with Tuesday Community Dinners on the Branford Town Green and Wednesday Community Dinners on the East Haven Town Green. The dinners kicked off on June 25 and June 26 and will continue through Tuesday, Aug. 20, and Wednesday, Aug. 21.

The back-to-back weekly events feature different fun themes as they serve up free, fantastic, local restaurant specialties and family-friendly activities and/or entertainment. Every dinner is free and open to all. No registration is needed, but bringing along your own chairs or a blanket for seating is recommended.

“It’s 100% open to anyone who would like to come,” says Jane. “You don’t have to be a resident of either town. We like to see everybody, regardless of need. It’s really about community-building.”

The popular CDR summer program has been a Branford staple for many years, regularly drawing 200 or more guests each week. Setting up an additional weekly offering in East Haven is new this year, as Jane explains.

“We’ve been developing a closer relationship with East Haven. We felt there was more of a need in East Haven, and we’re happy to be able to fill it,” says Jane.

While Jane has been hard at work coordinating donations and sponsoring organizations to help pull off a total of 18 free community dinner events, she’s also been having a heck of a lot of fun planning what’s to come. Special themes accompany different dinners, with concepts ranging from Shark Week to Pirates Ahoy, Rocket Kids to Candyland, and many others.

“I’m pretty excited about all of them,” says Jane.

However, there are a few which really stand out in the lineup, she adds. On Wednesday, July 10, costumed troopers of Darth Vader’s 501st Legion will enter the Star Wars-themed CDR Community Dinner on the East Haven green. On Tuesday, July 23, kids can hunt for Pokeman characters and make their own Pokeman balls during Pokeman Camp at CDR’s Community Dinner on the Branford Green. Another popular theme, Shark Week, makes a splash in both towns, coming Tuesday, July 30, to Branford and Wednesday, July 31, to East Haven. Find the full listing of programs under “Programs” at communitydiningroom.org

One special dinner event that has become a Branford favorite is National Night Out (NNO), which will be offered on the Branford green on Tuesday, Aug. 6. A program of the National Association of Town Watch, NNO is an annual community-building campaign promoting police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie.

“National Night Out is always wonderful,” says Jane. “We work with the Branford police department and the Branford fire department to bring in elements like Touch-a-Truck. It’s always a crowd-pleaser.”

CDR Community Dinners on the Green 2024 program sponsors include Page Hardware of Guilford, Branford Trinity Episcopal Church, Branford First Congregational Church, Vox Church, Amendola and Nesi Attorneys, East Haven; the Anthony Acri III Foundation, and the Town of East Haven.

Restaurant sponsors pitching in to provide featured proteins, to date, include Branford businesses Indian Neck Pizza, Kamana Restaurant, Parthenon Restaurant, Marco Pizza, Branford Town House Diner, Branford Subway, Il Forno, Honeyspot Pizza, Shoreline Cafe, and Da Carmine's Pizza; East Haven’s Sandpiper Restaurant, and Mediterranean Bistro; Guilford’s Cilantro’s Specialty Foods; and Guilford and North Branford’s La Cucina. Chick-fil-A is also contributing to a meal.

“We are incredibly grateful to the restaurant sponsors as well as the financial sponsors,” Jane says. “We couldn’t do this without their support.”

Jane also thanks Branford-based nonprofit Read to Grow which is contributing children’s books matching with certain dinner themes throughout the summer. Additionally, Jane thanks the remarkable volunteers, staff, and board members of CDR who contribute the people-power to help make each event a success.

“Our board volunteers and our volunteers are the people who really help us pull this off,” says Jane. “It’s not just me! I’m part of a great team.”

As a nonprofit professional since 2016, Jane’s experience in the sector includes most recently serving as Executive Director of The Get In Touch Foundation, a Milford-based nonprofit organization. She was also the Executive Director of Interfaith Volunteer Care Givers of Greater New Haven for five years. Additionally, she serves on the Board of Directors of the Agency on Aging of South Central Connecticut and as a trustee and vice chair of the National Volunteer Caregiving Network. Jane is also a volunteer Recovery Support Specialist instructor.

Suffice it to say that Jane knows a good nonprofit organization when she sees one, and she says CDR is a great organization.

“I know what it is when somebody has put together a really great, motivated team, and Judy Barron, CDR’s executive director, has done that,” Jane says.

In addition to the support from CDR team members and volunteers helping Jane to coordinate Community Dinners on the Green, Jane thanks the entertainers and activity program leaders and businesses who are also donating their time to the events. Supporting artists and businesses are noted on each week’s specific program flyer when posted at communitydiningroom.org and at CDR’s Facebook page.

“It does take a village, and we’re just really fortunate that so many people from the community have stepped up,” says Jane. “Everybody’s really giving of their time and giving of their services. We’re really grateful.”

While the dinners are anticipated to draw between 150 and 250 participants weekly, once word gets out, crowds tend to build throughout summer, Jane notes. For example, last year, some 400 attendees thronged the final dinner on the Branford green.

That’s why Jane would love to hear from additional restaurants or sponsors seeking to contribute to CDR Community Dinners on the Green. Jane can be contacted at programcoordinator@communitydiningroom.org or call 203-488-9750 ex. 2. Additionally, community members who’d like to help out can make a donation of any amount at communitydiningroom.org (click on the “Donate” heart icon).

All CDR Community Dinners on the Green begin at 5 p.m. Activities start at 5:30 p.m. Rain locations are Branford High School, 185 East Main Street (Branford dinners) and East Haven Senior Center, 91 Taylor Avenue (East Haven dinners). Find day-of weather updates at Community Dining Room on Facebook.