NEW BRITAIN — With shelves fully stocked and city officials on hand, the New Britain Food and Resource Center celebrated its official opening Monday January 5, 2009 at Osgood Park Food Pantry.
The Pantry, converted from a long-unused pool house at Osgood Park, is the product of the New Britain Food Security Collaborative. Composed of local agencies including Connecticut Works, CMHA, Foodshare, The Spanish Speaking Center, The Salvation Army and others, the collaborative was created in July 2006 to combat food insecurity among city residents.
The consensus Monday was that although this location is only temporary, there is a great need for it. Several officials attended the event, including Mayor Timothy Stewart, who was on hand for the ceremonial ribbon-cutting.
“I’m glad the city had this building available,” he said. Stewart praised the collaborative and the pantry as “a shining example of the things that are happening here in New Britain.”
State Sen. Don DeFronzo, D-6th District, and state Rep. Tim O’Brien, D-24th District, got a warm welcome at the event and thanks for their efforts to free funds needed for a permanent food pantry.
Pantry project manager Enrique Juncadella, who also represents The Hospital of Central Connecticut on the collaborative, said it is his wish and that of the collaborative that one day New Britain won’t need to have a food pantry. Until that time, the pantry will supply food to the hungry in the northwest side of the city. The Salvation Army is working on another pantry behind its building in the southern part of the city that will go on line in 2009Talk of a permanent food pantry in the North End in Corbin Heights has been stalled since the State Bond Commission promised $150,000 for construction in late summer.
O’Brien, who did not speak at Monday’s event, later said it was up to the city to decide how to spend the $150,000.
“Everybody agrees with the goals,” O’Brien said. “We’ve all been fighting in different ways for money to help people. It’s good that the whole community has come together. These are tough times. We have to roll up our sleeves.”
O’Brien said that Mayor Stewart had some good ideas about where to build a permanent food Pantry in Corbin Heights area.
If a food pantry is put in the Corbin Heights area, will the food pantry that was just opened be closed down? If so, that would hopefully free up the Osgood Pool food pantry to be used for what it was originally built for...a swimming pool!!
How does this affect the closing of the Spanish Speaking Center's food pantry? Is the new food pantry sufficient to meet the city's needs? Does the SSC serve people not likely to utilize the Osgood Park food pantry? An out of towner is curious to know ; )
Peter G: Hopefully the Osgood Park food pantry will be sufficient to help fulfill the city's needs in helping to feed the poor. However, isn't it equally important to have the Osgood Pool open to serve the children of that area of New Britain during the summer months? Idle youth in the heat of summer may possibly lead to trouble...Just a thought!
NEW BRITAIN — With shelves fully stocked and city officials on hand, the New Britain Food and Resource Center celebrated its official opening Monday January 5, 2009 at Osgood Park Food Pantry.
ReplyDeleteThe Pantry, converted from a long-unused pool house at Osgood Park, is the product of the New Britain Food Security Collaborative. Composed of local agencies including Connecticut Works, CMHA, Foodshare, The Spanish Speaking Center, The Salvation Army and others, the collaborative was created in July 2006 to combat food insecurity among city residents.
The consensus Monday was that although this location is only temporary, there is a great need for it. Several officials attended the event, including Mayor Timothy Stewart, who was on hand for the ceremonial ribbon-cutting.
“I’m glad the city had this building available,” he said. Stewart praised the collaborative and the pantry as “a shining example of the things that are happening here in New Britain.”
State Sen. Don DeFronzo, D-6th District, and state Rep. Tim O’Brien, D-24th District, got a warm welcome at the event and thanks for their efforts to free funds needed for a permanent food pantry.
Pantry project manager Enrique Juncadella, who also represents The Hospital of Central Connecticut on the collaborative, said it is his wish and that of the collaborative that one day New Britain won’t need to have a food pantry. Until that time, the pantry will supply food to the hungry in the northwest side of the city. The Salvation Army is working on another pantry behind its building in the southern part of the city that will go on line in 2009Talk of a permanent food pantry in the North End in Corbin Heights has been stalled since the State Bond Commission promised $150,000 for construction in late summer.
O’Brien, who did not speak at Monday’s event, later said it was up to the city to decide how to spend the $150,000.
“Everybody agrees with the goals,” O’Brien said. “We’ve all been fighting in different ways for money to help people. It’s good that the whole community has come together. These are tough times. We have to roll up our sleeves.”
O’Brien said that Mayor Stewart had some good ideas about where to build a permanent food Pantry in Corbin Heights area.
If a food pantry is put in the Corbin Heights area, will the food pantry that was just opened be closed down? If so, that would hopefully free up the Osgood Pool food pantry to be used for what it was originally built for...a swimming pool!!
ReplyDeleteHow does this affect the closing of the Spanish Speaking Center's food pantry? Is the new food pantry sufficient to meet the city's needs? Does the SSC serve people not likely to utilize the Osgood Park food pantry? An out of towner is curious to know ; )
ReplyDeletePeter G: Hopefully the Osgood Park food pantry will be sufficient to help fulfill the city's needs in helping to feed the poor. However, isn't it equally important to have the Osgood Pool open to serve the children of that area of New Britain during the summer months? Idle youth in the heat of summer may possibly lead to trouble...Just a thought!
ReplyDelete