Person to Person (P2P), the largest food pantry provider in lower Fairfield County, recently hosted a reception at its Stamford warehouse to honor nearly 75 supporters who helped fund P2P’s two mobile food pantries, part of its P2P on Wheels program. The event celebrated the recent expansion of P2P on Wheels with the launch of the second mobile pantry. This expansion, made possible by a generous $240,000 grant from the Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation, will double the nonprofit’s capacity to serve families and individuals in Stamford. This expansion will also offer crucial support services delivered by P2P’s trained, bilingual caseworkers, who help clients navigate additional resources through P2P or referrals to other area agencies.
The Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation has given over $1.6 million of charitable support to P2P. Their support will help ensure that P2P can continue meeting the growing needs of the Stamford community, expanding its reach to more individuals and neighborhoods where it is needed most.
Guests at the reception enjoyed small bites prepared by Chef Samad Mickens of Beyond the Salt and Chef Martita of Empanadictas, both of which are part of The Village Incubator Program. Chef Iven Romero and Rosemary Group also collaborated on the event, which was curated by Sue Moretti Bodson of Emboss LLC.
In FY24, P2P distributed enough groceries in Stamford to prepare 561,000 meals. With 2,200 Stamford residents relying on P2P each month, the new mobile pantry will help meet the growing demand for food assistance and provide access to other vital support services, including housing, financial assistance and job training resources.
This expansion is crucial as about 12% of Stamford residents face food insecurity, a number rising due to economic challenges and the lingering effects of the pandemic. Many families face barriers, such as a lack of transportation to traditional food pantries, making mobile services like P2P on Wheels essential. The second mobile pantry will expand into new neighborhoods and offer evening and weekend hours to better reach working families. It will provide a full complement of food for healthy meals, including fresh produce, milk, meat, eggs and pantry staples such as cereal and beans.
Nancy Coughlin, CEO of Person to Person, said, “The need for food assistance in Connecticut’s second-largest city, unfortunately, continues to climb. In 2023, when Mike Riccardi was Person to Person Board chair, he initiated this project and helped raise vital funds to make it a reality. We are grateful to the thousands of volunteers and dozens of community partners that help us build a stronger Stamford.”
To see the pantry schedule or learn how to get involved by donating, volunteering, or receiving food support, visit p2phelps.org.
Person to Person is a nonprofit agency dedicated to providing individuals and families with essential resources to help them overcome daily challenges and put them on a path toward economic stability. P2P serves 28,000 residents in Fairfield County, including 17,000 in Stamford.
