Food insecurities are still a very real concern for many people in greater Bridgeport.
With inflation many more people are going hungry.
“It’s heartbreaking to think that there are people right here in Fairfield County who go to bed hungry every single night,” said Bill Hoey, vice president of mission integration for Hartford HealthCare, Fairfield region.
Thursday’s 12th annual House of Hope Food Drive at St. Vincent’s Medical Center is hoping to exceed 10 tons of food for several local food programs.
The Thomas Merton Center in Bridgeport is one of the organizations that is benefitting. Its pantry feeds 500 people a month and serves 250-280 meals a day. The center is now seeing many new faces coming in.
“People are really struggling with the economy and food prices. We’re getting an influx of working-class people who just can’t make ends meet,” said Bill Colson, with The Thomas Merton Center.
Sterling House Community Center in Stratford serves thousands of families a year and is also grateful for the House of Hope Food Drive.
“This is very important. It really helps kick off our Thanksgiving food drive. We give away a lot of food for the holidays, so this a huge bump in the donations that we get at that time,” said LeAnne Reynolds with Sterling House Community Center.
People can donate by dropping off nonperishable food in a shed next to the hospital.
The House of Hope food drive runs until Nov. 16 and is a collaboration between St. Vincent’s Medical Center and Aquarion Water Company.