CT Foodshare faces budget cuts, here’s what you can do to help

News

Photo Credit: Sherry Paquette

The Walk Against Hunger will take place April 26

By Joanna Farrell

The CT State Asnuntuck Community College Food Pantry, like other foodshare programs across the nation, works to provide free food amongst other personal care items to low-income families in our community. The pantry has been a resource for the campus since 2017 in providing food to students, alumni, staff, and their families.

In an email sent to Asnuntuck students on March 27, the Co-Founder of the Asnuntuck pantry, Sherry Paquette expressed her concern for the future of the pantry amidst budget cuts from the USDA. She stated that with these new budget cuts, that the future of the local pantry is uncertain as well as other Foodshare programs across CT and America as a whole.

Monthly, the Asnuntuck pantry provides nearly 10,000 pounds of food which supports 850-900 individuals and around 400 families. The pantry is also combined with the Asnuntuck Community College Resource Hub which provides students with social services, soundproof rooms for contacting resources, as well as visits from community partners.

Paquette also expressed that for the pantry to continue its operations providing these services that they need our help, as without their partnership with CT Foodshare, operations would not be able to continue and that their support is invaluable. The email provides information on the Connecticut FoodShare’s Walk Against Hunger to be held April 26, 2025.

If you are unable to attend but would still like to aid the pantry, donations can be made here. This is also where you can register to be a part of Asnuntuck’s team should you decide to participate. Once a part of the team, students are encouraged to post their link on socials to raise money for the cause.

The walk is to be held at Dunkin’ Park in Hartford and doors open at 8am. The walk begins at 10 and is a mile and a half walk around the park. However, students are encouraged to walk anywhere they can to raise money for the cause.

A statement from the President and CEO of Connecticut Foodshare was also included in this email. In the statement from President Jason Jakubowski he says that they are working actively with the Governor and state legislature to look for solutions for the budget cuts as two truckloads of food have already been cancelled and 4 million pounds of food are prospected to be lost in CT within the next year, however their decisions are uncertain at this time.

In order to alleviate the impact of these cuts to our children, individuals with disabilities, and working families, we are urged to donate if we can and participate in the walk to raise funds for the Foodshare. Last year alone the CT Foodshare program provided over 44 million meals for families in need.

Without access to free, healthy food it is no doubt that the residents of Connecticut will feel the impact and CT families will suffer. As members of the CT State Community Colleges, we are urged to work together to aid in reducing the impact of these budget cuts on our community.

Should students have further questions on how to help or register for the walk please reach out to the Director of Student Activities, Sherry Paquette. She can be reached by email at sherry.paquette@ctstate.edu or by phone at (860) 253-1206.