Foodshare is the heart of greater Hartford’s fight against hunger. We bring together individuals and organizations to create effective solutions to end hunger in all 42 towns of Hartford and Tolland counties. Foodshare does this in three key ways, by:
1. Serving as our region’s food bank and distributing more than 14 tons of food each day to a network of 400 local nonprofits that feed our hungry neighbors. This vital safety net helps 100,000 people in our region who are at risk – including seniors, the working poor, and 40,000 children – get some of the food they need for today. Foodshare works with food companies to secure donations of good food that would otherwise go to waste. Foodshare is efficient -- every $30 that we receive provides enough food for a hungry person for an entire month and 95% of our resources go directly to ending hunger. As efficient as this is, Foodshare cannot meet all of the community’s needs through food distribution alone – 14 tons of food per day provides only about two meals per hungry person per week!
2. Reducing the number of people in need by increasing their self-sufficiency. At Foodshare, we believe no American should ever have to stand in a food line in order to have enough to eat. To that end, we are currently striving to ensure fair and consistent access to existing support programs, especially those in which participation rates are low. We’re also working to break down barriers that prevent people from acquiring food and to create effective one-on-one interventions for families in need. In this way, we address the chronic underlying reasons why people are hungry. These stem from poverty, not just the immediate lack of food.
3. Engaging members of the greater community to increase their understanding of these real causes and solutions to hunger. This includes raising awareness that food drives, though well-meaning, are not the solution. We’re continually creating new opportunities for people to help fight hunger. Our goal is to inspire community members to become personally involved in effective hunger solutions.
Since 1982, Foodshare has sought to end hunger in our region. Working in partnership with other community leaders such as the United Way, End Hunger Connecticut! and 211 Infoline, Foodshare has the experience and is building the networks necessary to help make this vision a reality.
We need you! Become a Foodshare partner. Your gifts of time, talent, and financial support are vital to ending hunger… not just by feeding a hungry person today but by creating a future where hunger will not be tolerated. Join us!
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Keywords: food, hunger, food bank, food insecurity, volunteer, advocate
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