CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
(Left to right) Kristina Walton and state Sen. Eric Berthel.
HARTFORD – Kristina Walton, the executive director of the Seymour-Oxford Food Bank, told lawmakers Wednesday that the number of households getting food from her organization increased by 63 percent from 2023 to 2024.
In real numbers, that’s an increase from 1,125 households in 2023 to 1,838 households in 2024.
“These are our working neighbors who are doing their very best to make ends meet,” Walton said. “They are our essential workers, educators, healthcare workers, service industry employees, business owners, retirees, bereaved and single parents. Every day at the food bank we see how our neighbors are struggling with the most basic needs.”
Despite being one of the richest states in the U.S., food insecurity is a problem for one out of every eight adults in Connecticut – and one in every six children.
It’s why Walton and others were at a press conference Jan. 29 to urge the passage of a bill that would allocate $10 million for the Connecticut Nutrition Assistance Program.
The money would go to Connecticut Food Share, the statewide food bank, and be used to buy food for local pantries, including those in the lower Naugatuck Valley. Fifteen percent of the money would be used to buy produce and other products from Connecticut farmers, according to a press release.
Click the play button below to watch Walton’s remarks.
The majority of food at the Seymour-Oxford Food Bank comes from Connecticut Food Share, Walton said.
“Ten million dollars equates to 22 million meals across over 600 organizations. That’s huge,” Walton said.
The press conference Jan. 29 introduced the public to the “Feeding Connecticut (CT) Caucus,” a group co-chaired by state Sen. Eric Berthel, a Republican whose district includes Oxford and part of Seymour, and state Rep. Eleni Kavros DeGraw, a Democrat who represents Canton and part of Avon.
The pair is part of seven lawmakers (including state Rep. Mary Welander, who represents part of Derby) who introduced House Bill No. 5831, “an act concerning funding for nutrition assistance.” Click here to track the bill, which formally asks that the $10 million be allocated.
State Sen. Berthel said the Flood of August 2024 showed how important food banks are in Connecticut.
“As I volunteered alongside my colleagues at a food bank in Seymour, the sight of hundreds lined up for aid was a sharp reminder of the urgent need for support,” Berthel said in a prepared statement.
Jason Jakubowski, the president and CEO of Connecticut Foodshare, said many Connecticut residents are struggling. Food insecurity levels are just about what they were during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, he said.
Rising grocery costs because of inflation are hurting people, and so are housing costs, Jakubowski said. People are choosing to skip meals so they can pay rent and bills.
“Regardless of where you come from, you’ve got people in your district that are affected by this issue,” Jakubowski said.
Berthel said the underlying problems causing food insecurity need to be addressed, but that the $10 million is needed now to deal with the issue at hand.
“The answer largely lies in the lack of affordability. Connecticut remains one of the most expensive states in the U.S., with high energy costs driving up the prices of food, goods, and services,” Berthal said in a prepared statement.
