Governor Ned Lamont held a news briefing at Foodshare Thursday to make an announcement regarding the impact of COVID-19 on the state’s community of nonprofit organizations.
He was joined by:
- Gian-Carl Casa, CEO of the Alliance
- Jason Jakubowski, President of Foodshare
- Jay Williams, CEO of the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving
- Jacqueline Johnson, Executive Director of Serve Connecticut; and others.
Gov. Lamont announced that in partnership with the Connecticut Community Nonprofit Alliance and the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, the state has launched ConnectiCorps.
It is a new community service program set to launch in August that will help address the growing demand on essential services provided by Connecticut’s nonprofits in the areas of food security, housing, and antipoverty assistance.
According to the governor, it will offer an opportunity for high-impact service in response to the COVID-19 public health emergency and will provide a modest income and a stipend for higher-education costs for young adults in the state.
Lamont said the ConnectiCorps program is a great way to do two important things:
- Provide support to nonprofits
- Offer young people the opportunity for public service during challenges in our communities
The ConnectiCorps program is funded by a significant grant from the Hartford Foundation’s COVID-19 Response Fund and an AmeriCorps state and federal grant approved by Serve Connecticut (the Connecticut Commission on Community Service, which is part of the Connecticut Office of Higher Education), Lamont's office said in a release.
“I’m grateful to the Connecticut Community Nonprofit Alliance and the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving for their leadership and creativity in developing and launching this critical program," Gov. Lamont said Thursday. "Nonprofits across the state are on the frontlines of the COVID emergency, providing critically needed services to vulnerable people across Connecticut."
ConnectiCorps quick facts:
- ConnectiCorps will place 60 to 80 part-time members, who will provide between 70,000 and 90,000 total hours of service at up to 20 nonprofit sites.
- Members will receive a modest stipend and mileage reimbursement, and will be eligible for a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award upon completion of their service year, which can be used to repay qualified student loans or offset current tuition costs at eligible institutions of higher education and training programs.
- Members will be provided with uniforms, hand sanitizer, COVID-safety training and PPE to ensure safe and consistent service.
- Duties of members will include: reviewing/updating host-site COVID-19 safety protocols, deploying creative approaches to safely recruit and retain volunteers, and providing temporary direct service relief for operations at host site.
Jason Jakubowski also announced during the briefing that since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, more Connecticut residents have been signed up for SNAP benefits than in all of 2019.
On Wednesday, Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, and New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy announced a regional quarantine to outside travelers.
People traveling from states with higher COVID-19 infection rates must quarantine for 14 days.
Gov. Lamont said that the advisory for travelers is "strong" but will be enforced on a voluntary basis. Connecticut residents traveling back from a high infection area will also be asked to self-quarantine for 14 days.
Visitors from states over a set infection rate of 10% will have to quarantine, Cuomo said. As of Wednesday, states over the threshold were Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Utah and Texas.
Travelers heading from Bradley to Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Washington, Utah, and Texas will come back to Connecticut with an extra ticket to 14 days in quarantine.
Governor Lamont joined a news conference with New York and New Jersey Governors Andrew Cuomo and Chris Murphy. They say they don't want the progress we've had the last few months to go to waste. Governor Lamont taking to Facebook to ask people to keep the trend in our state moving in the right direction.
“Bradley, I believe has a number of flights everyday to and from Florida,” says Lamont. “First thing we're going to do, at least at Bradley, where I have a little more authority, is make sure people notice when they get off the plane what the requirements are.”
RELATED: Gov. Lamont, regional Governors say travelers from high infection states must quarantine for 14 days