Hartford organizations will benefit from new federal funding designed to combat food insecurity, according to officials.
The $250,000 in federal funding is part of the FY 2022 government funding package that was signed into law in March by President Biden, officials said.
U.S. Rep. John B. Larson, D-1st District, visited the Farmers Market at Billings Forge in Hartford to announce the funding. He said that, with the money, Connecticut Foodshare and Forge City Works would partner to launch a Neighborhood Grocery program.
“Connecticut Foodshare is a vital resource for families across the state facing food insecurity,” Larson said, in a statement
“The Neighborhood Grocery will bring fresh foods to Frog Hollow, a neighborhood where these items are less available to residents, whether it be due to their ability to pay or access to reliable transportation,” Larson said. “I was thrilled to support this partnership in Congress and look forward to the Neighborhood Grocery directly serving Frog Hollow residents.”
Mayor Luke Bronin said that, thanks to the “partnership between Forge City Works and CT Foodshare, and the tremendous support from Congressman Larson and our federal delegation, the Frog Hollow neighborhood will now have a market selling fresh-made food and healthy fruits and vegetables at affordable prices right at Billings Forge,”
Bronin said it is an “innovative, creative way to reduce food insecurity and give families better options close to home.”
“It will make a difference to families here in the Frog Hollow neighborhood and beyond,” he said.
Forge City Work Executive Director Ben Dubow said the hope is not just to address food access in Frog Hollow, but to “create a model that can be scaled and replicated in additional neighborhoods as well.”
“The Neighborhood Grocery Program aims to increase access to wholesome foods for people facing food insecurity, whether due to poverty or inaccessibility,” officials said. “The Grocery will be a ‘scaled-price market,’ open to all shoppers regardless of their ability to pay.”
