Over $1M worth of food delivered by Ocean State Job Lot

EAST HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) -- Quite a sight on Connecticut highways today as a convoy of ten tractor trailer trucks made their way to food banks in our state.

If you visited an Ocean State Job Lot store when you did your holiday shopping you might have helped out in the effort.

Thousands of pounds of food dropped off at the Connecticut food bank and Foodshare. Canned goods that will feed folks at soup kitchens throughout the state.

"I was homeless for three, three and a half years and this was a blessing in disguise because there was no place else to go to eat," said Vincent Lightbourne a soup kitchen volunteer.

A convoy of tractor trailer trucks carrying more than one million dollars worth of food, dropped off green beans to canned tomatoes and other non-perishables to 10 food banks in New England, including two in Connecticut.

It was all thanks to donations by Ocean State Job Lot shoppers.

"This year versus last was a five percent increase over the course of the two months that we did ask for donations," said Ron Mitch a district manager of Ocean State Job Lot.

The Connecticut Food Bank received 40,000 pounds of food collected during the holiday season but the need never goes away.

"Hunger doesn't go a season. There is need everyday," said Nancy Carrington CT Food Bank president and CEO. "In every community in this state, there are people who are hungry or at risk of hunger."

And for those in need, sometimes food is as good as gold.

"To have a hot meal, it's everything. It's like having money in your pocket," said Lightbourne.

"To have a hot meal, it's everything. It's like having money in your pocket."

The kind of wealth the food bank hopes to spread around.