Foodshare’s 13th Annual Convoy for Caring
On Tuesday September 20th Foodshare embarked on their 13th Convoy for Caring event. This year the Foodshare convoy departed with 24 tractor trailers, 4 times the amount of when they first started. The Convoy for Caring’s mission is to give back to the Greater Hartford community and make a lasting contribution on the fight against hunger. The event is a way for Foodshare to say thank you to all its local food industry partners who contribute to their mission throughout the year.
Founder of the Convoy for Caring, Jim Oswald, said their first event 13 years ago consisted of just some coffee and Doughnuts. Now, following a recognition breakfast at the Sheraton, a convoy of trucks drive over 21 miles carrying donated food to help feed and raise awareness for the 137,000 people in the Greater Hartford area who are food insecure. The convoy is not a sole delivery though, many companies donate food throughout the year which helps Foodshare achieve its goals. In the past year alone the convoy was able to feed over 6,400 families in need.
Over 70% of the food donated to Foodshare comes from Connecticut grocers like Stop and Shop, Big Y Foods, Inc., ShopRite, Price Chopper/Market 32, Geissler’s Supermarket, Highland Park Market and Freshpoint. This allows Foodshare to provide about 25 meals for every $10 donation. The convoy relies on the local food industry for support and boasts over 20 participants.
This years’ event had a focus on providing milk to more families in need. Since it is highly perishable, milk is one of the least donated products. Recently a voucher system was set in place to allow needy families to purchase milk from supermarkets and stores. If you would like to learn more about how to help visit Foodshare.org for more information.
