A van pulls up to the entrance of Connecticut Children’s Emergency Room. Inside, you won’t find a sick patient or any medical supplies, but the contents are integral to community health: fruits and vegetables.
In 2022, Hartford Food System launched a partnership with Connecticut Children’s to provide fresh produce to people in need who come to the emergency room. The staff screens every family using a simple, two question survey; to date, about 40% display “hunger vital signs”.
In the capital city, Hartford Food System, a longtime Foundation grantee, addresses food security in myriad ways. The nonprofit cultivates fruits and vegetables, supports urban growers through its social enterprise Hartford Harvest Farm Share and is involved in the effort to bring a full-service grocery store to the North End.