The Connecticut Food Bank, with centers in Fairfield and Stamford, is among several New England area food banks to receive a $28,500 grant from the Ford Motor Company Fund in an effort to help deliver more meals.
The Connecticut Food Bank, in a prepared statement issued the week before Thanksgiving said one in seven people in Connecticut faces hunger.
“The Ford Motor Co. Fund, the charitable arm of Ford Motor Co., is expanding its commitment in the fight to end hunger in America by donating to the Connecticut Food Bank and other the Feeding America® member food banks,” the food bank said.
The food bank works in six of Connecticut”™s eight counties with some 700 community-based partners and programs. It provides food to more than 300,000 people each year, working with programs like food pantries, meal programs, community centers and shelters.
“We are thankful to The Ford Motor Company Fund for its support. For the more than 300,000 people in our area who may not know where they”™ll find their next meal, the Connecticut Food Bank strives to be the resource they can depend on. This gift will help us deliver even more food and meals to our neighbors in need,” said Paul O”™Leary, the food bank”™s interim CEO.
Ford”™s input is part if its Ford Fund”™s Operation Better World initiative, which dates to  2008. Its framework enables the Ford Fund, Ford dealers and other groups to collaborate “and more effectively meet community needs.” In addition to New England, the Ford Fund has launched Operation Better World programs in 25 cities and regions across the U.S.
“Each year, 48 million Americans ”“ including more than 15 million children ”“ struggle with hunger,” said Jim Vella, president of Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services. “Assisting communities in times of need is core to our mission, and we are proud to team up with the Connecticut Food Bank in the fight against hunger.”
The Connecticut Food Bank is a member of Feeding America, the nation”™s leading domestic hunger-relief organization, and provides 23 million pounds of food each year to help hungry people. It distributes food through a network of partner agencies as well as through its Mobile Pantry program; the GROW Up With Good Nutrition program for families with young children; the Kids”™ BackPack program to bridge the weekend meal gap for children receiving free meals at school; and a supplemental foods program for income-limited seniors.
