HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — At the height of the pandemic, we saw Rentschler Field turned into a food distribution site. All of that went away. But now, a massive event here in Hartford to fill some of that food insecurity need.

Rev. Bruce Carter, the Board Chair of Angel of Edgewood, said, “The vibe is great. I mean there’s so much energy here right now.”

It’s an unusual sight for a random Tuesday in Hartford. At the heart of it, it’s about giving back to the community.

Rev. Carter said, “We teamed up with Price Rite and Feed the Children to not just provide back to school materials. We have food here. We’re giving away food. It’s very important because, in this dire time, people are still hurting.”

Some 800 families, those who have been coming to Angel of Edgewood for help are now recipients of 15-pound boxes of essentials, everything from back to school to personal care items. But, there’s also music and goodies galore for the community to enjoy, as the sun shined over Hartford for the first time in days. The food in these boxes came from vendors like Goya that work with Price Rite.

Jim Dorey, President of Shop Rite said, “We go city to city. We try to do about eight events a year in the cities and communities we serve. This time, it’s part of a bigger fair as you can see. Helping kids is really what it’s all about. Trying to help families that need a little help get a head start on things.”

Feeding Minds & Bodies is the name of the event most years. But this year was extra special, after an unprecedented year for Hartford students living through a pandemic.