Connecticut Food Bank will be hosting a Drive-Thru Mobile Pantry event in Fairfield County at the Veteran’s Memorial Park in Norwalk, CT on Thursday, May 14th from 10 am to 2 pm. This becomes the largest massive relief effort the organization has ever done following last week’s successful distribution in Bridgeport, CT.
In conjunction with the City of Norwalk, the Connecticut Food Bank is planning to distribute approximately 39 TONS of food at the event. This food distribution will equal approximately 61,000 meals. There are no requirements to attend. “We would like to thank the city of Norwalk and the Mayor’s Office for supporting our efforts to provide assistance to our community and for providing the location of Veteran’s Memorial Park to host this event”, said Dan Gomez, Chief Operating Officer of the CT Food Bank.
"We are able to support this mobile drive-thru due to the generosity of our donors. Our mission is to serve over 500 pantries, soup kitchens and member agencies in our six county region. Many of our member partners have seen a significant increase in traffic and it’s imperative we make every effort to provide as much relief to them as we can. Food supplies continue to be stretched and it’s important for people to understand that food insecurity has no boundaries. These drive thru distributions are a way to immediately reach members of the community who are food insecure. The distributions also assist the CFB in providing a significant amount of food without putting a strain on our logistical support and staff”.
Police officers will be directing traffic at 42 Seaview Ave, Norwalk, CT 06855. We anticipate 1,500 – 2,000 vehicles will be served. Attendees are asked to enter the pickup line at 9:45 am the day of the event. Attendees will make their way through the directed traffic pattern of the Norwalk Police and will not leave the safety of their vehicle. Upon entering the food distribution area, drivers will be asked to open their trunks and volunteers will place the food inside and close the trunk. Drivers can then safely leave the event. Participants will receive an assortment of food, including; a 20 lb. box of assorted fresh produce & fruit, yogurt, snacks, two varieties of prepared & packaged soup, potatoes and other select items. This process is anticipated to be slow, but ensures the safety of the volunteers while protecting food from the elements. Drivers will not be allowed to get out of their vehicles. This keeps everyone safe and practices social distancing. Police are asking those in attendance to be patient, stay in their vehicles and listen to directions. “During this unprecedented time, the CT Food Bank is working with our partners across the state to provide critical meals to our neighbors struggling with the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Dan Gomez, Chief Operating Officer of the CT Food Bank. “The need for emergency and supplemental food has increased significantly in the past months. We are grateful for the outpouring of support from individuals, organizations and companies statewide that make this possible. Since March, the CT Food Bank has processed over 9.2 million pounds of food, provided over 4.0 million meals, made over 1,172 deliveries, driven over 50,000 miles and conducted over 75 mobile pantries-serving nearly 15,000 households.”
Thursday May 14, Naugatuck Convention Center, start time 5:20Pm- address 6 Rubber Ave. Naugatuck.
Future Connecticut Food Bank Mobile Pantry food distributions are also posted at http://www.ctfoodbank.org/mobilepantry. The CT Food Bank is doing everything possible to ensure the safety of our volunteers through the following measures: All volunteers will be given a no-touch temp check upon arrival. Volunteers with a temperature of 100.4 or above (the recommended threshold from the CDC) will be asked to leave. There will be several disinfectant stations.
Volunteers should thoroughly wash their hands prior to arrival. Hand washing should last at least 20 seconds under warm water.
Accommodations are in place to allow volunteers to perform their duties with reasonable social distancing.
The food bank will provide disposable gloves and the city of Bridgeport will support providing masks for volunteers during their shift.
If members of the community are seeking opportunities to help their neighbors in need during the pandemic, they are encouraged to visit ctfoodbank.org if they would like to make a financial donation. These donations support the CFB to purchase additional food and assist with covering expenses and wages for staff.
They can also register to volunteer at the Connecticut Food Bank warehouse in Wallingford to help
package nonperishable food items for distribution to Connecticut Food Bank member agencies and
through the food bank’s Mobile Pantry program. “Donations and volunteers fuel our work, and the need to help our neighbors in this challenging time continues to grow,” Gomez said.