WALLINGFORD, Conn. — Hunger Action Day might not be circled on your calendar, but at Connecticut Foodshare it is one of the most important workdays of the year.
The day is meant to amplify the message and the mission of Connecticut Foodshare and for food pantries across America. Jason Jakubowski, the CEO and president of Connecticut Foodshare, spoke from the massive Wallingford warehouse where they are based.
“Today is Hunger Action Day all across the United States – it’s the one day a year in which folks can reflect upon the millions of people who are food insecure," Jakubowski said.
As part of Hunger Action Day, Stop & Shop, which has been a longtime partner with Connecticut Foodshare, presented a check for $640,000.
Jennifer Barr, the director of communication for Stop & Shop said, “The funds are a combination of what we’ve raised at our registers [where customers can round up their bill to the nearest dollar]. Stop & Shop has also provided a grant specifically to help fight childhood hunger.”
A team of Stop & Shop employees also pitched in to help load trucks with produce to get delivered to families in need across the state.
Jakubowski noted that, “Everywhere from Bridgeport all the way to a little town like Union, we are distributing food because there are families in need. Even in a town like Greenwich, which is affluent, there’s 1,000 families that go to the local food pantry down there.”
As the trucks continued to get filled outside the Foodshare Warehouse, Barr, from Stop & Shop, added, “It is so critical that we join together in this fight against hunger to help our neighbors in need.”
Jakubowski said, “For one day a year, we get to reflect on the impact that we have not just across Connecticut but across the country. It makes me feel really good about what we do.”
To learn more about Connecticut Foodshare, click here.
----
Jim Altman is a reporter at FOX61 News. He can be reached at jaltman@fox61.com. Follow him on Facebook, X and Instagram.
----
Do you have a story idea or something on your mind you want to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at newstips@fox61.com.
----
HERE ARE MORE WAYS TO GET FOX61 NEWS
Download the FOX61 News APP
iTunes: Click here to download
Google Play: Click here to download
Stream Live on ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching FOX61.
Steam Live on FIRE TV: Search ‘FOX61’ and click ‘Get’ to download.