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New Britain Herald: Murphy delivers food donations in New Britain
Nov 26, 04:49 PM
By SCOTT WHIPPLE
NEW BRITAIN – The line outside the Spanish Speaking Center Wednesday stretched all the way from the front door to the sidewalk on Cedar Street.
Mary Sanders said she expected around 100 people, but closer to 150 were waiting for food. Most had met basic poverty level guidelines.
Sanders, executive director of the center, said Friday afternoon her cupboards were bare. “People in New Britain are really having a hard time,” she said. “We have a high unemployment rate. A lot of people are struggling.”
“ So, she went on Facebook asking for food.
Her staff, most of them volunteers and friends of the center came through, but the center still had a food shortage. Sanders had called U.S. Rep. Chris Murphy, D-5th District, to tell him her clients needed pasta, tuna fish and peanut butter.
“We’re not that concerned about Thanksgiving,” she said. “Most people have made arrangements. Two sites are giving free Thanksgiving dinners.
“ Sanders and her staff had a couple hundred dollars on hand; so they bought cereal, dry foods, toilet paper, whatever they could afford.
As part of the Food Security Collaborative the center works with other food pantries in the city.
“We’re encouraging our people to get food from other sites so they’ll have enough to get them through the weekend,” Sanders said. “Most food pantries will be closed until Monday.
“ Wednesday, visitors to the center were limited to nine items, 12 for those with kids. Families are allowed to make two visits a month to the center for food.
Karl Messerschmidt of the center staff said 1,277 families in the city had taken advantage of the center’s food program since January – a total of 3,935 individuals. ”
Last year, we had $80,000 to work with,” Sanders said. “That money was supposed to end on June 30th but we stretched it to last Christmas Eve. That grant was replaced with a $17,000 grant. Our overall budget was cut 33 percent last year. My staff took furlough days this year, trying to keep the center open. We can’t tighten our belts any further.“
Murphy dropped off food donations for Thanksgiving dinner to three food banks in New Britain and Meriden: the Friendship Center on Arch Street; the Meriden Soup Kitchen on Broad Street, and the Spanish Speaking Center on Cedar Street.
Wednesday he arrived at the Spanish Speaking Center wearing jeans and a casual shirt. He said he had just come from Meriden where he had helped serve lunch at the Meriden Soup Kitchen.
“The need is off the charts,” he said. “It’s all ages, all kinds of people.“ Asked about the status of the Health Reform bill, Murphy said, “All eyes are on the Senate. With so much pressure for them to produce a bill they cannot fail. I’m hopeful there will be a measure by the end of the year.“
Murphy said people he had talked to Wednesday were candidates for health care reform.
“The poor and uninsured are using emergency rooms as their primary care clinics,” he said. “They could get much less expensive care if they were able to see a doctor with insurance.“
However, the Congressman wanted to talk about volunteers at the food centers he had met. He said he was amazed at their dedication.
“They could be home getting ready for their family’s Thanksgiving, but volunteers in Connecticut at sites like these are spending their holiday helping people,” he said.
Murphy added that in this economy, donations of food are in greater demand than at any time in recent memory. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, one in nine Connecticut families struggled with hunger in 2008. In 2009, the Connecticut Food Bank has reported an average increase of 30 percent in number of people served at each of their locations.
