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A cooperative effort involving a Delaware farmer and a cadre of local volunteers and the U.S. Department of Agriculture has provided boxes of fresh food to more than 1,100 families.
Photo: Jeff Mill /A cooperative effort involving a Delaware farmer and a cadre of local volunteers and the U.S. Department of Agriculture has provided boxes of fresh food to more than 1,100 families.
A cooperative effort involving a Delaware farmer and a cadre of local volunteers and the U.S. Department of Agriculture has provided boxes of fresh food to more than 1,100 families.
A cooperative effort involving a Delaware farmer and a cadre of local volunteers and the U.S. Department of Agriculture has provided boxes of fresh food to more than 1,100 families.
CROWMELL - A cooperative effort involving a Delaware farmer and a cadre of local volunteers has provided boxes of fresh food to more than 1,100 families.
The distribution of the food, with a gallon of milk included with each box, is the latest installment of the USDA Farmers to Families Program.
Families in Cromwell, Portland, and Rocky Hill among other communities, benefited from the program, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and administered locally by the state Department of Agriculture.
The need for food has become particularly acute as the coronavirus continues to stymie efforts to reopen some businesses fully and get more people back to work.
It also ensures that farmers who would ordinarily be supplying food to schools and restaurants, can provide that food to needy families rather than see it thrown away.
The effort, which also involved the support of the Cromwell Fire Department, was the third such program so far this year in this part of the state.
Volunteers from non-profits, schools, and churches were waiting when a tractor-trailer truck pulled into the Coles Road fire station on a recent morning.
Fire Chief Michael Terenzio said the fire department stepped in to help out because, “We have the space, the manpower - and the equipment.”
The fire service “is not just about fighting fires,” Terenzio said. “It’s about people helping people, about neighbors helping neighbors.”
As pallets were unloaded from the truck, the volunteers swarmed over the food boxes, loading them into SUVs, truck, and even a BMW convertible.
Armed with a clipboard, Kayleigh Royston, a legislative liaison for the DOA, tallied the number of boxes that went to each group.
While she has been instrumental in setting up the program, it was the first time Royston was able to see the distribution in person.
“Our good system has been bending over backwards to get a lot of food to a lot of people,” Royston said.
While she would prefer to get food from farms in Connecticut and throughout New England, Royston said Vincent Farms happened to have an adequate supply of food to meet the requirements of the delivery.
Royston said she hopes to be able to mount additional Farms to Families deliveries before the end of the month.
State Rep. Christie Carpino was among several officials on hand to help unload to trucks that had arrived from the Vincent Farms in Laurel, Deleware.
Other officials included Mayor Enzo Faienza, town councilors Allan Waters, Patrick Ahlquist and his wife, former town clerk Joan Ahlquist.
Carpino worked with the Cromwell Children’s Coalition to ensure there were adequate volunteers to unload the trailer.
In all, 27 organizations were represented and and they managed to empty the trailer in two hours.
Laura Winoski, the director of the Hilltop Pre-School, was among those who answered the call.
“We just know who are the families that need help by being close to our families,” Winoski said.
Royston also said she hopes to have additional shipments before the month’s end.
It was not just about providing food to those in need, Royston said. It’s also about the type of food that is being offered.
The boxes distributed this time contained hot dogs, yogurt, sour cream, and cheese as well as fresh vegetables.
Crews from the Portland Public Works Department off-loaded nearly 300 boxes, which they brought back to for distribution to the a senior living facility as well as to the Food Pantry for distribution to various churches.
After she helped unload boxes, Portland First Selectwoman Susan S. Bransfield said, “I want to thank all the volunteers for their generosity and for their hard work.”
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October 03, 2020 at 05:00PM
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Volunteers and ‘Farmers to Families’ help bring food to Cromwell families - Middletown Press
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