State legislators join in voicing concern

By Julie Scharnberg

The Norfolk Church of Christ Youth Group is determined to do something about food insecurity and food deserts. On the afternoon of January 31, 2016, the youth group hosted a community conversation at Battell Chapel to gather ideas. Special guests included State Representative Roberta Willis (D-64), State Senator Kevin Witkos (R-8), Molly Peterson (Husky Meadows Farm) and Mary Gollan (The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (W.I.C.) in Torrington). The event was very well attended by local residents and another youth group from a sister United Church of Christ (UCC) congregation in Goshen.

The Norfolk youth group chose food deserts as a focus for their efforts after seeing evidence of the problem first hand through their partnership with Amistad UCC in Hartford where there is essentially no access to fresh food. At this time, there are no grocery stores in the city of Hartford. Ellie Olsen read a letter written by a Hartford high school student which said “I live in Hartford, and when it comes to our community, what I see are fast food places, liquor stores, bodegas and drug stores . . . I see the wrong type of investment in our community.” One full-size grocery store is planned as part of the Dunkin Donuts Stadium redevelopment project.

Youth Group leaders Reginald Denny and Elias Olsen shared their research on food deserts and hunger statistics in Connecticut, and presented some ideas for potential solutions including community gardens, mobile food pantries with refrigerated grocery trucks, public-private partnerships and encouraging small convenience stores to carry fresh produce.

Representative Willis distributed materials comparing poverty statistics in Bridgeport, Hartford and New Haven, noting that they are some of the poorest cities in the country. Hartford has the highest percentage of people living in poverty in the state. Senator Witkos shared his notes on programs in Hartford working to combat food insecurity, highlighting the backpack programs that allow children to take donated food home in a less conspicuous way.

The Rev. Erick Olsen took notes on a white board during the conference.

Willis specifically linked food deserts to poverty and high food costs. She noted that much of the food sold in Connecticut is more expensive because it comes from other states and other countries. She said the state was focusing on efforts to support small farms and expand farmers’ markets in an effort to increase access to fresh local food. In addition, she praised coalition groups like the Working Lands Alliance, who bring local advocacy groups, faith-based organizations and farmers together to help create local food access solutions.

Molly Peterson and Mary Gollan, both Norfolk Youth Group alumnae, made brief presentations based on their observations as a farmer and a nutritionist. Peterson emphasized that education was critical to this effort for both adults and children. Everyone needs information about which foods are truly healthy and access to local healthy food, such as the ability to use Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food stamps at farmers’ markets. Gollan agreed saying that her clients often don’t use their W.I.C. checks because they don’t know where they can access healthy foods or how to prepare and store them. Only 2 of the 15 farmers’ markets in Litchfield County accept SNAP and/or WIC.

The Rev. Erick Olsen spent the session recording the key points of the discussion and ended with a list of suggestions for both hands-on and advocacy work. A report discussing food insecurity recently published by The Community Foundation of Northwest Connecticut was made available to all who attended. In closing, Willis said, “This is not just an urban issue. We don’t see it as much in the rural areas, but it’s out there. It’s in our communities, and the need is great.”

Photo: Courtesy of the CT Conference, UCC.