Events:

Cheers to 25 Years:
Celebrating Executive Director Nancy L. Carrington's
25 years of service to Connecticut Food Bank

Every day for the past 25 years, Nancy L. Carrington goes to work focused on one idea: feed people in need.

“Food should not be a privilege. It should be a basic human right,” said Carrington, Executive Director of Connecticut Food Bank. “It is appalling to me that there are people in this country without enough food.”

 Connecticut Food Bank will honor Carrington’s 25 years of service as a leading anti-hunger advocate in the state with a reception from 7 to 9 p.m. Sept. 26 at the Food Bank’s main warehouse, 150 Bradley Street, East Haven.

Nationwide, more than 36.2 million people lived in households struggling with hunger in 2007, the latest national data available.

In Connecticut, more than 308,200 people struggled with having enough food in 2007, according to the Food Research and Action Center. That means they had to skip meals because they had no food to eat, or they had to choose between paying for food or utilities or rent or medical care.

Today, anti-hunger advocates are seeing more people seeking food assistance for the first time as the prolonged recession continues its stranglehold. Demand is up by more than 20 percent statewide.

“As a nation, we produce enough food to feed everyone. The challenge is getting the food to the people who need it,” Carrington said.

Overcoming that challenge has been the driving force behind Carrington’s dedicated service to the hunger-relief effort.

“I think 25 years ago, I had the belief that our work would wind down,” Carrington said, adding that she continues to hope that one day Connecticut will no longer need the services of a food bank because no one has to struggle to keep food on their table.

Carrington, born and raised in Bethany, joined the fledgling Connecticut Food Bank in 1984, as food solicitor, prodding local and regional food companies for their excess and unsaleable products. At the time, Connecticut Food Bank distributed 1.3 million pounds of food a year to 188 community agencies.

Since Carrington became Executive Director in 1989, Connecticut Food Bank grew into the largest centralized source of donated, emergency food in Connecticut—distributing enough food to 650 food-assistance programs to feed about 250,000 men, women and children a year. In 2008, Connecticut Food Bank distributed more than 16 million pounds of food.

Join us on Sept. 26 to commemorate Carrington’s dedication to the mission of alleviating hunger in our communities and share in her hope that one day food banks will no longer be needed.

Sponsorship and ad opportunities available. For more information, click here or contact Stefanie Stevens, Special Events Coordinator, at (203) 469-5000 ext. 302 or at sstevens@ctfoodbank.org.