Responding to the Overwhelming Need for Food in Connecticut
/by Jason Jakubowski
Of the 44 million meals we provided to our Connecticut neighbors last year, millions were served up as warm, healthy plates of food served at over 50 community kitchens across the state. In every city and town, people struggle with the cost of food, reduced income, and even worse – homelessness. Community kitchens are stepping in to make sure as many people as possible are being fed but also feeling secure and cared for – but these kitchens need our help, too.
Last year, Michael Jones, CEO of The New HVN, reached out to me because he wanted to help make a difference over the holidays, and his team at Tweed-New Haven Airport (HVN) has deep community partnerships and commitment to giving back in New Haven.
HVN staff and Connecticut Foodshare were welcomed by Community Soup Kitchen in New Haven for an extraordinary day of service – HVN served meals and packed backpacks with essential food items for local students. We helped alongside them and witnessed teamwork that was inspiring. We met wonderful people who were both serving guests and being served. Partnerships like this allow Connecticut Foodshare to amplify our mission to ensure nutritious food reaches anyone who needs it especially during a season when many families need a little extra support. Many thanks to Kayla Reasco, Connecticut Foodshare board member, for facilitating this heartwarming day.
Every person wants to feel like they belong somewhere – surrounded by people who are and take the time and effort to follow up their words and sentiments with action. I’ve said many times that it will take the involvement of everyone to hep our neighbors living with food security and the teams of HVN and Community Soup Kitchen really embodied the compassion and strength of community-driven solutions to hunger.
“Our community, our food bank” are more than just words, they give us a feal sense of hope here at Connecticut Foodshare. The leaders and volunteers of community kitchens are directly providing that hope with every meal they serve.
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It has certainly been a hectic start to 2025 here at Connecticut Foodshare. I appreciate all of you who have reached out to ask questions and offer support as we navigate a rapidly changing environment both in our state and across the country. There are still a lot of unknown factors that can and will have an impact on our work in the months ahead, but I can assure you that nothing will weaken our resolve to serve all of our neighbors who are living with food insecurity here in the state of Connecticut.
Could there be cuts to the TEFAP program that provides us with $40 Million worth of food each year? Yes, absolutely. Could there be cuts to SNAP and other programs that our neighbors directly count on for food? It's certainly possible.
But here at the food bank, we can’t fret about the future when we already have a difficult job to do today. Our Board of Directors and our staff will continue to monitor the work of our lawmakers both in Washington, DC and at the State Capitol in Hartford, and we will continue to vigorously advocate on behalf of the 470,000 Connecticut residents we serve…but our No. 1 job is now and always will be providing quality food to neighbors and families in need.
Connecticut Foodshare has been around for nearly 43 years, and in that time, there has always been one constant: we serve everyone. No questions asked. If you live in Connecticut and you are hungry, we will serve you. Period.
That is what we have always done, and that is what we will always do. We appreciate your support and encouragement, particularly during these ever-changing times.
Jason Jakubowski is President and CEO of Connecticut Foodshare. The two segments of the article above originally appeared, respectively, in the Winter 2025 edition of the organization’s Winter 2025 newsletter and on the Connecticut Foodshare website, www.ctfoodshare.org
