Hartford

Food Distributions Aim To Alleviate Food Insecurity This Thanksgiving

Charitable efforts in Hartford and Waterbury provided food for thousands of meals.

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Thanksgiving is a holiday centered around family, friends and food. While family and friends could be at a minimum this year, there are some organizations around the state trying to ensure that food is still plentiful for those in need.

Loading cars with bags of donated food into cars Saturday, volunteers with Hartford’s Community Renewal Team (CRT) helped 24 families set their table for Thanksgiving.

“This allows us to be able to help them to not have to make a choice between paying for a bill or providing food for their family,” said CRT’s Tenesha Grant.

Included in each package was a complete Thanksgiving meal, not just for people but also their furry friends.

“We have food that we pick up from various places, dog food. And we always support the community,” said Dan McCabe, president of Dog Star Rescue.

In Waterbury, 25 pound boxes of food were given to those in need.

“It has a cooked chicken, some fresh produce, some tomatoes, onions, some potatoes in there,” said Akia S. Callum, detailing some of the items in the boxes.

The Waterbury event was part of the national initiative Farmers to Families Food Box Program. The Bridge To Success Community Partnership, along with Grace Baptist Church, helped manage the distribution. They explain there’s a critical need right now.

“Food insecurity was an issue before corona hit,” said Executive Director of the Waterbury Bridge to Success Community Partnership, Althea Brooks. “Now with the coronavirus, issues around food insecurity have been exacerbated.”

During the Waterbury event, 1,100 boxes of food were distributed. Organizers said this is an indication of how difficult times are for some people right now.

“It’s a statement that we have to do better and we have to come together as a community to meet the needs of the people,” said Kristopher S. Reese, senior pastor at Grace Baptist Church.

The Police Activity League gave away 1,200 hundred meals at another event in Waterbury on Saturday.

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