New Haven Summer Mobile Pantry Reaches Families in Need
08/Aug/16 / 19:10
Connecticut Food Bank and New Haven Schools Serving Thousands
as Part of Summer Meals Program at Sites Across the City
NEW HAVEN, CONN., August 8, 2016 – Nearly 900 households, representing more than 2,000 adults and children, have visited Connecticut Food Bank summer mobile pantries offered at six sites partnered with the City of New Haven Public Schools summer meals program. Through this partnership, residents are able to select fresh vegetables, fruit, bread and nonperishable food items at the sites where the New Haven Public Schools meal service is providing prepared meals to city children who have access to free or reduced price meals during the school year.
“We have been amazed by the response to the program,” said Connecticut Food Bank CEO Bernie Beaudreau. “We knew the need was there and are glad to have created a program that helps families put fresh, nutritious food on the table.” Beaudreau noted that participation is “double the expectation” the Connecticut Food Bank had when planning the program.
Beaudreau said the program is important because families that struggle with food insecurity are particularly hard pressed to provide adequate food for their children during the summer, when donations to local feeding programs dip and children who would typically get breakfast and lunch at school don’t have that opportunity. “That means a family might need to replace between 100 and 150 meals for each child during the summer,” Beaudreau said. “This program helps bridge that gap with fresh food that is not always easy for our member programs with limited refrigeration to stock in large quantities.”
The City of New Haven lunch and supper meals program focuses on the children not in school during the summer months. The partnership with the Connecticut Food Bank to offer mobile pantries for residents in addition to the New Haven Public Schools meal service is at six of the 83 sites the school meal service program operates in New Haven and Hamden.
Mid-way through the summer program, the Connecticut Food Bank is reporting 899 families have participated in the program, representing 2,064 individuals. Of those individuals, 52% are children and 12% are senior citizens. “This program is a great supplement to the City’s meal service because it is helping the entire family,” Beaudreau said.
The summer meals and mobile pantry sites operated through the partnership are offered twice weekly through September 1 as follows:
Week |
Tuesday |
Thursday |
Aug
Week 2 |
9
4:45 pm to 5:45 pm
Cornell Scott
Hill Health Center
400 Columbus Avenue |
11
4:00 pm to 4:45pm
Bassett Splash Pad
Bassett Elementary School
130 Bassett Street
Behind school in parking lot |
11
6:00 pm to 7:00 pm
John Martinez School
100 James Street |
Aug
Week 3 |
16
5:30 pm to 6:30 pm
Scantlebury Park
Bristol Street |
18
4:00 pm to 4:45 pm
Westville Manor Apartments
Corner of Lodge and Level Streets |
18
5:45 pm to 6:30 pm
South Genessee Park
35 Genessee Street |
Aug
Week 4 |
23
4:45 pm to 5:45 pm
Cornell Scott
Hill Health Center
400 Columbus Avenue |
25
4:00 pm to 4:45pm
Bassett Splash Pad
Bassett Elementary School
130 Bassett Street
Behind school in parking lot |
25
6:00 pm to 7:00 pm
John Martinez School
100 James Street |
Aug/Sep
Week 5 |
August 30
5:30 pm to 6:30 pm
Scantlebury Park
Bristol Street |
September 1
4:00 pm to 4:45 pm
Westville Manor Apartments
Corner of Lodge and Level Streets |
September 1
5:45 pm to 6:30 pm
South Genessee Park
35 Genessee Street |
About the Connecticut Food Bank:
The Connecticut Food Bank is committed to alleviating hunger in Connecticut by providing food resources, raising awareness of the challenges of hunger and advocating for people who need help meeting basic needs. The Connecticut Food Bank partners with the food industry, food growers, donors and volunteers to provide food, which last year provided 19.2 million meals. We distribute that food through a network of community based programs to six Connecticut counties – Fairfield, Litchfield, Middlesex, New Haven, New London and Windham counties – where more than 300,000 people struggle with hunger. Visit us on the web at www.ctfoodbank.org, like us on Facebook and follow @CTFoodBank on Twitter and Instagram.
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