Norwich Back in May, with the COVID-19 pandemic canceling local agricultural and 4-H fairs, throwing thousands of people out of work and devastating local dairy farmers, the Hyde family created a fund in memory of their mother to help ease the crisis.
On Saturday, the first distribution from the Joyce Ann Hyde Food for Families Fund will meet all three of the family’s stated goals when they launched the fund.
The fund has raised about $5,000 since it was established by brothers Brandon and Harlan Hyde, both active with local agriculture and 4-H clubs. The family used the fund to purchase almost 1,500 half-gallon bottles of milk through Connecticut dairy cooperatives to be delivered to nearly two dozen food pantries throughout New London and Windham counties.