6 years, 35 selections, $2,435 in donations
Since January 2019, Connecticut Foodshare has been selected to benefit from the Big Y Community Bag Program 35 times at 12 different Big Y locations. In total, the organization has received $1,759 in donations to continue delivering an informed and equitable response to hunger in Connecticut.
Tell us about Connecticut Foodshare.
One in every eight people in Connecticut is food insecure. Our mission is to address hunger in the state through a variety of methods. We help our community by providing food through our mobile pantries and distributing food to various agency partners, including food pantries, meal programs, and community kitchens. We even have a team of people to help community members apply for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.
Our organization was originally founded in 1982. Then, when Foodshare and Connecticut Food Bank merged in 2021, we became Connecticut Foodshare. Today, our vision is to have a thriving community free of hunger.
What services do you provide to the community?
We distribute food to more than 480 partner food programs and 113 mobile pantry sites across the state. In order to accomplish this, we partner with a variety of donors within the food industry to rescue surplus food. At our facilities throughout the state, our volunteers then sort and pack the food to prepare it for distribution. By distributing food to our various partner food programs and mobile pantry sites, we ensure our neighbors experiencing food insecurity are given healthy food options.
We distribute food to more than 480 partner food programs and 113 mobile pantry sites across the state.
In addition to food distribution, Connecticut Foodshare also helps community members apply for SNAP benefits. Our goal is to help reduce the stress of applying for SNAP by allowing community members to call from the comfort of their own private spaces and offering assistance in both English and Spanish.
How has your organization used the donations from the Big Y Community Bag Program to further its mission?
Every single dollar donated through the Community Bag Program goes a long way to help our neighbors here in Connecticut who are experiencing food insecurity. For each $1 donated, Connecticut Foodshare is able to provide two meals to neighbors in need. Big Y has donated over $2,400 since this partnership began in 2019, meaning Big Y has helped us provide more than 4,800 meals!
Big Y has donated over $2,400 since this partnership began in 2019, meaning Big Y has helped us provide more than 4,800 meals!
Tell us a story about the impact of a program, service, or initiative that the Big Y Community Bag Program has supported through these donations.
Supporting Connecticut Foodshare helps neighbors like Lucy. Lucy is an 80-year-old retired school bus driver and nursing professional. This mom of four and grandmother of nine lives alone but looks forward to connecting with her community to keep her mind and body active and feel secure. Connecticut Foodshare is honored to have a very special role in this.
Every Saturday at Lucy’s church, talented chefs and volunteers cook up a delicious lunch and welcome anyone to sit at their tables to enjoy the afternoon among friends, old and new. Much of the food used to prepare the feast comes from Connecticut Foodshare. This special gathering not only provides a warm, healthy meal but also gives people a sense of belonging.
This special gathering not only provides a warm, healthy meal but also gives people a sense of belonging.
Lucy told us, “When I came and met so many people, I started to feel better. I was so depressed in my apartment. When I come here, I feel lively again. I look forward to it. It’s a big help. I like the people, they’re very friendly and nice. I love coming here every Saturday.”
Being on a fixed income and living alone, Lucy finds that she sometimes needs help making ends meet. She said, “When you get your social security, you have to pay your rent and bills.”
When money is tight and Lucy needs a little grocery boost, she visits a Connecticut Foodshare mobile food pantry nearby. Speaking about her visits to the food pantry, Lucy said, “I go there when I don’t have anything. They have nice vegetarian stuff. It’s a very, very big help! They’re all so nice. They take my bag and say, ‘Let me help you.’ To Connecticut Foodshare, thank you very much. You save some hungry people. Sometimes, you’re hungry, and you don’t know what to eat. I know I appreciate Connecticut Foodshare. I get nice things from them. I appreciate them from the bottom of my heart.”
Connecticut Foodshare is honored to help neighbors like Lucy. Thanks to our supporters, we can continue to be there for her and so many other neighbors.
Have you noticed any changes in community awareness or support since becoming involved in the Big Y Community Bag Program?
Whenever we have a monthly promotion going on with Big Y, our organization shares that information on our very active and engaged social media platforms, which is a powerful tool for increasing awareness! Awareness about food insecurity in our state is one of our key priorities, and we are grateful for all of the support from our community members who participate in this Community Bag Program.
As a successful nonprofit partner, what is one piece of advice you would give to other nonprofits participating in the Big Y Community Bag Program?
Use the tools that Big Y provides to help raise awareness about your organization and its mission in your community! Use your social media platforms to promote the Community Bag Program to your followers. The more people who are aware of your mission and partnership with a strong community brand like Big Y, the more they’ll want to do what they can to help and support your mission.
Interview with Chevon Reid, Events Manager