This month we saw Connecticut rally to respond to the freeze in SNAP benefits that impacted more than 360,000 residents. Local communities banded together to host food drives, emergency food providers surged their efforts to provide more food to more people, restaurants and other businesses offered free food to SNAP recipients, Connecticut United Ways created new funds to feed people in their regions and 211 developed new tools and partnered with experts to get you the most accurate, up-to-date resources.

We were especially inspired when a child care center contacted 211 Child Care to request a temporary adjustment to their fees, lowering them so that families experiencing SNAP challenges could be supported.

This Thanksgiving, we feel grateful for the confirmation that community IS at the heart of every meal.

By the Numbers

Every year, our 211 Contact Specialists receive hundreds of thousands of calls from people dealing with a crisis. More people are reaching out for help as prices for essentials continue to rise, and more families are forced to choose between paying for rent, heat, child care, health care and food. The work is difficult but rewarding, because we know that we are doing our part to improve people’s lives, one phone call at a time.

This month we responded to the dramatically increased need for food resources due to the federal shutdown.

Overall, 211 answered nearly 100,000 inquiries about emergency food support from October 28 to November 10! A 10X increase from that period last year.

In Their Own Words

Here we share four different personal perspectives about the experience of losing SNAP benefits, in their own words:

When Tammy Imre heard about the government shutdown and that SNAP benefits wouldn’t be available in November, “I was really nervous. I only had $5 left on my EBT card and was running out of food already. I forced myself to go to a food bank near me. I try not to go unless I absolutely need it because I know that others are struggling, too. I ended up being the 10th person in line, but after me the lines were really long. I was lucky to get the food that I needed. I was just hoping and praying that the government would open up.”

I encourage people to take advantage of the resources given to them and to try to be hopeful. There is help in New Haven – please accept it.

Tammy, an active member of Witness to Hunger, is 50 years old and has been living in New Haven for the past 15 years. She has some physical disabilities that prevent her from working in retail and as a receptionist, as she did in the past. She is out of work and has been on SNAP for a few years: “It’s hard for me to not depend on benefits. It’s scary too, not knowing what to expect in the future. I received a letter from DSS that informed me of the new work requirements for able-bodied people. That makes me nervous, because I’m not sure what I need to do. I am very appreciative of SNAP, but the very high prices of food make it hard for me to budget. Even with that assistance, I don’t have food by the end of the month – everything is gone.”

College student Maria Limón-Cerezo from Trumbull shared her family’s experience with CT Mirror. Click here to read.

Ivelisse Morales, a Waterbury resident, spoke with WTNH News 8 about losing SNAP while pregnant. Click here to watch.

Stephanie Land, bestselling author, memoirist and economic justice advocate, shares her national perspective with Time. Click here to read.

If you would like to experience the power of Stephanie Land in person, you can purchase tickets for United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut’s Women United 15th Anniversary Power of the Purse presented by Hartford HealthCare here.

Upcoming Events

Click here to learn more.

VIRTUAL 30 I 30 Experience

Tuesday, December 2
10:30 - 12 PM

Join us for the 30|30 Experience. Step into the shoes of a family struggling to make ends meet and navigate their real-life decisions. This eye-opening, virtual experience is free for anyone across Connecticut.

Connecticut Data Collaborative Conference

Wednesday, December 3

8:00 AM to 6:00 PM

Hartford Marriott Downtown

Did You Know?

Connecticut United Ways are rallying to help feed our residents in need across the state with a statewide Emergency Grocery Assistance Fund, as well as many local efforts and initiatives:

1 Middlesex Pantry Project – Middlesex United Way is helping fill food pantry shelves across Middlesex County.

2 Share the Table – A Neighbor-to-Neighbor Fundraiser and Food Drive offered by the United Way of Coastal and Western Connecticut.

3 Neighbors United: No Neighbor Hungry – United Way of Greater New Haven’s emergency food response.

4 The Joy of Sharing: A way to help United Way of Greater Waterbury feed families this Thanksgiving.

5 Valley United Way’s Harvest House has been expanded to meet the need and is now open all year long.

6 Greenwich United Way is raising funds for Greenwich Fills the SNAP Gap, an emergency food fund to provide immediate grocery assistance.

7 United Way of Southeastern Connecticut always has opportunities available to support their Gemma E. Moran Food Center.

211 is here for YOU! We've made it super easy for you to get the most updated list of food providers in your community. No wait, no hassle. Just call 2-1-1, enter your zip code and automatically get a text with a link to a list of food providers in your community!

For another way to find food in your town, visit: https://bit.ly/FindHelp211

Food pantries can update their information NOW at bit.ly/211agencyupdates

You can check your EBT card balances in real time by following these instructions.

VISIT US:

United Way of Connecticut

55 Capital Boulevard, Rocky Hill, CT 06067