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Posted By Connecticut Foodshare - October 1, 2026

Connecticut Foodshare’s mission is to deliver an informed and equitable response to hunger. We cannot fulfill our mission without centering the expertise of the neighbors we serve across the state. The Connecticut Foodshare Neighbor Council is an innovative five-month advocacy and leadership training program that meaningfully engages a cohort of neighbors who have experience with food insecurity to improve food bank operations and government policies that address its root causes. La misión de Connecticut Foodshare es proveer una respuesta informada y equitativa al hambre. No podemos cumplir nuestra misión sin centrar la experiencia de los vecinos a quienes servimos a través del estado. El Neighbor Council [consejo de vecinos] de Connecticut Foodshare es un programa de capacitación innovador de defensa y liderazgo de cinco meses de duración que envuelve significativamente a una cohorte de vecinos con experiencia con la inseguridad alimentaria para mejorar las operaciones de los bancos de alimentos y las políticas gubernamentales que abordan sus causas fundamentales.

CONNECTICUT FOODSHARE AND UCONN RELEASE REPORT HIGHLIGHTING EXPERIENCES OF NEIGHBORS WHO ACCESS FOOD PANTRIES  (Wallingford, CT) - A newly published report from Connecticut Foodshare and UConn's Health Equity Lab for the People (HELP) is providing a closer look at the experiences of Connecticut neighbors who access food pantries. Findings show many neighbors rely on food assistance regularly while facing difficult choices between food and other basic needs. The report, Experiences of Neighbors Who Access Food Pantries , was developed by Connecticut Foodshare in partnership with Dr. Kristen Cooksey Stowers, principal investigator of UConn’s HELP, and her research team. Surveys were conducted between March and July 2025 with 524 food pantry guests at 17 food pantries across Connecticut. The pantries were selected using a stratified random sampling approach based on factors including pantry size and location, helping ensure that pantry guests from communities across the state were represented. The survey was offered in English and Spanish. The survey found that food pantry guests are navigating significant financial pressures. Seventy-six (76%) of food pantry guests reported having to choose between buying food and paying for another important expense such as housing, utilities, transportation, medical care, etc., in the last year. The top three spending tradeoffs included paying for housing (33%), utilities (32%), and transportation (27%) instead of paying for food. Researchers also found that 82% of food pantry guests said that at least a quarter of their household groceries came from a food assistance program in the last three months. Sixty-five (65%) of food pantry guests said they go to the food pantry at least a few times a month and 26% of food pantry guests said they have been visiting a food pantry for 6 months or less. The study also found that 43% of food pantry guests said that at least half of their household groceries came from a food assistance program in the last three months. In terms of who Connecticut Foodshare serves at pantries, 55% of households surveyed have children in the home, 38% of food pantry guests were seniors (age 60+), 34% of food pantry guests are working, 22% are retired, and 13% report they are disabled and unable to work. Twenty-one (21%) of food pantry guests said English is not their primary language. This report comes as more than 560,000 neighbors in Connecticut are facing food insecurity, including one in five children. Findings from the survey will help inform Connecticut Foodshare's efforts to address barriers to food access and improve the experience of neighbors at food pantries. “This data further demonstrates that there is significant need among our neighbors across Connecticut as the cost of living rises," said Jason Jakubowski, President and CEO of Connecticut Foodshare. "Food pantry guests are relying on food assistance to provide a meaningful portion of their household groceries, and many are having to make difficult choices between putting food on the table and paying for other basic necessities. As the need continues, it is more important than ever that we listen to our neighbors, understand the challenges they are facing and work together to ensure everyone has access to the nutritious food they need to thrive.” “This report represents one deliverable from an amazing research partnership between UConn and Connecticut Foodshare focused on putting data about food pantry guests’ experiences with food and nutrition security plus culturally preferred foods to action,” said Dr. Kristen Cooksey Stowers, principal investigator of UConn’s Health Equity Lab for the People. “Our findings from this ethically, linguistically, and geographically diverse sample of pantry guests from 17 randomly selected sites point to important disparities in nutrition security and housing security by age, race, and educational attainment. Regarding areas of opportunity to promote food justice and health equity in Connecticut, these findings warrant muti-sector partnerships like ours to develop tailored approaches to serve pantry guests with housing instability, limited vehicle access, and those born outside of the United States.” ABOUT CONNECTICUT FOODSHARE: Connecticut Foodshare is the food bank serving the people of Connecticut and a partner food bank of Feeding America’s nationwide network. In Connecticut, more than 560,000 or 1 in 7 people are food insecure. That includes more than 137,000 or 1 in 5 children. Connecticut Foodshare distributes food to 450+ agency partners (food pantries, community kitchens, shelters) and more than 100 mobile food pantry locations. Visit ctfoodshare.org to learn more. ABOUT THE UCONN HEALTH EQUITY LAB FOR THE PEOPLE: The Health Equity Lab for the People (HELP) is directed by Dr. Kristen Cooksey Stowers, Assistant Professor in the UConn Department of Allied Health Sciences. HELP’s mission is to inform and evaluate Policy, Systems, and Environmental Strategies to advance food justice and health equity. Dr. Cooksey Stowers’ lab focuses on structural solutions that will improve food access, diet quality, food insecurity, and nutrition security. To advance this work, HELP leverages Community Based Participatory (CBPR), Citizen Science, and Mixed Methods approaches.

Posted by Connecticut Foodshare - September 17, 2026

Read the latest edition of Connecticut Foodshare's Newsletter

Connecticut Foodshare and United Way of Southeastern Connecticut have signed a new seven-year contract to strengthen access to food assistance across New London County, extending a longstanding partnership between the two organizations. Through this renewed agreement, United Way of Southeastern Connecticut’s Gemma E. Moran United Way/Labor Food Center will expand its ability to provide nutritious food to neighbors facing hunger by continuing to leverage Connecticut Foodshare’s extensive network of retail partners in the region and gain access to food purchased with state funding that is administered by Connecticut Foodshare. This collaboration will support food rescue efforts and increase distribution through local food pantries, meal providers, and mobile food pantries. In New London County, 38,620 of 267,707 residents (14.4% of the population) are food insecure. Last year, the Gemma E. Moran United Way/Labor Food Center distributed 2,581,474 pounds of food in southeastern Connecticut, 48% of which was made possible through its partnership with Connecticut Foodshare. Connecticut Foodshare will provide the Gemma E. Moran United Way/Labor Food Center with access to food purchased using state funding, to help meet the growing need for food assistance across southeastern Connecticut. Gemma E. Moran United Way/Labor Food Center will leverage Connecticut Foodshare’s purchasing power to secure additional products and further expand its reach to individuals and families experiencing food insecurity in New London County. “This partnership reflects our shared commitment to ensuring that everyone in our communities has access to the food they need to thrive,” said Jason Jakubowski, President and CEO of Connecticut Foodshare . “By working together, we are maximizing resources and helping ensure neighbors across New London County have reliable sources of nutritious food.” “This agreement represents more than a contract—it reflects a shared vision for a southeastern Connecticut where no one has to wonder where their next meal will come from,” said Dina Sears-Graves, President & CEO of United Way of Southeastern Connecticut . “By combining the Gemma E. Moran United Way/Labor Food Center’s deep roots and relationships in our local communities with Connecticut Foodshare’s statewide resources, we can expand access to nutritious food, strengthen our network of partners, and better meet the growing needs of our neighbors across New London County.” “At a time of increased demand, the food distribution programs of United Way of Southeastern Connecticut’s Gemma E. Moran United Way/Labor Food Center are meeting a critical community need,” said U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, (D) 2nd District. “The expansion of their reach through this long-term partnership with Connecticut Foodshare will mean more individuals and families in New London County receive the nutritious meals they need. In Congress, I will continue fighting to protect federal support for United Way of Southeastern Connecticut and Connecticut Foodshare’s mission of eliminating food insecurity in our region.” "Far too many families are feeling the strain of rising costs, and food assistance continues to play a critical role in helping people make ends meet," said State Rep. Anthony Nolan, (D) 39th District. “ This partnership will help strengthen local food pantries, reduce food waste, and ensure more nutritious food reaches neighbors throughout New London County. I'm proud to support efforts that invest in the well-being of our communities." ABOUT CONNECTICUT FOODSHARE: Connecticut Foodshare is the food bank serving the people of Connecticut and a partner food bank of Feeding America’s nationwide network. In Connecticut, more than 560,000 or 1 in 7 people are food insecure. That includes more than 137,000 or 1 in 5 children. Connecticut Foodshare distributes food to 450+ agency partners (food pantries, community kitchens, shelters) and more than 100 mobile food pantry locations.

FEEDING AMERICA’S NEW MAP THE MEAL GAP STUDY SHOWS FOOD INSECURITY CONTINUES TO RISE ACROSS CONNECTICUT

Expansion will increase food storage capacity and strengthen the food bank’s ability to serve Connecticut residents facing food insecurity

Key Findings from Listening to Our Neighbors

Read the latest edition of Connecticut Foodshare's Newsletter

Read the latest edition of Connecticut Foodshare's Newsletter

New Initiative Turns Solar Education Into Meals For Families In Need

Statement from President and CEO Jason Jakubowski

Statement from President and CEO Jason Jakubowski

Connecticut Foodshare President and CEO Jason Jakubowski responds

Read the latest edition of Connecticut Foodshare's Newsletter

Connecticut Foodshare President and CEO, Jason Jakubowski, responds

Connecticut Foodshare President and CEO, Jason Jakubowski, responds

New data has been released on food insecurity in Connecticut

Read the newest edition of Connecticut Foodshare's Newsletter

Connecticut Foodshare's Walk Against Hunger Returns to Dunkin' Park on April 26