This week’s guest speaker was Brittney Cavaliere. Brittney is the program manager of the Connecticut Foodshare Institute for Hunger Research and Solutions. In her role, Brittney is responsible for overseeing many of the day-to-day operations of the Institute, managing various projects, and conducting research to promote long-term food security, health, and well-being.
Brittney talked about food insecurity and how it is rooted in poverty and systemic injustices. As Brittney said, “It takes more than food to end hunger.” Brittney talked about ways food banks and pantries across the country are working to not only meet the need of people experiencing food insecurity but addressing the root causes of hunger at the individual level to make sure there is not a need tomorrow.
In America, forty-six million people experience food insecurity. In Connecticut alone, 426,000 people experience food insecurity, including 1 in 6 children. Food insecurity leads to poor health, underemployment, and poor academic performance, among other things.
Brittney talked about the 3 C’s: choice, culture, connection. Clients can choose nutritious food; the culture of the pantry is welcoming; and the food pantry can lead to connections to other services. Towards the end of her presentation, Brittney plugged the book by Katie S. Martin, titled “Reinventing Food Banks and Pantries.”
To see today’s meeting and Brittney’s presentation, please go to the link of the recording
If you want to assist in fighting food insecurity in East Hartford, please go to the following link:
https://www.easthartfordct.gov/social-services/pages/food-assistance
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