(WTNH) – More than 1 in 6 kids in Connecticut are living in a household that struggles to put food on the table. With shocking statistics like that, the Good Morning Connecticut team is partnering up with the Connecticut Food Bank to not only raise awareness, but also collect delicious and healthy food items.
On Friday, April 1, from 9AM – 1PM, the Good Morning Connecticut Team and the Connecticut Food Bank will be taking donations at the ShopRite Supermarket at 745 Foxon Road in East Haven.
The food drive comes on the heels of National Nutrition Month. The Connecticut Food Bank’s mission is to provide nutritious food to people in need. They highlight the importance of good nutrition and balanced meals to healthy outcomes for all people and especially to support the healthy development of children.
The foods most needed are:
- Canned meat and fish, such as canned tuna, canned chicken.
- Peanut butter
- Dried or canned beans
- Oatmeal and breakfast cereals
- Brown rice
- Whole wheat pasta
- Low sugar and real fruit juices
- Shelf-stable milk
(Always look for low sodium and low sugar options.)
The Connecticut Food Bank believes that making healthy choices shouldn’t be a luxury for Connecticut families. With the help of donors, they are able to provide food that nourishes and sustains people in need.Last year, the Connecticut Food Bank distributed 22.3 million pounds of food – that provides enough to prepare more than 18.5 million meals. 35% of that food was fresh produce. The Connecticut Food Bank GRoW! Truck, helps bring a wide range of nutritious food to people in the community.
Huwerl Thornton, coordinates the truck programs and routes for the Connecticut Food Bank. The truck is used in the GROW! Up With Good Nutrition program that provides highly nutritional food for low-income households with children enrolled in early childhood, pre-school daycare, Head Start programs and elementary schools. Families participating in the program may attend a brief workshop on healthy eating or financial literacy before boarding the GROW! Truck where they select healthy food items and receive information on how to prepare foods that may be unfamiliar to them.
For more information, head out www.ctfoodbank.org
For more details about the food drive, head to http://wtnh.com/2016/03/23/the-good-morning-connecticut-team-joins-forces-with-the-ct-food-bank-for-a-spring-food-drive/