Norwich In years past, the St. Vincent de Paul Place might have a full house of patrons for lunch or dinner on a hot summer day, with staff ushering about 20 people struggling with the heat and humidity into the single former classroom with a window air conditioner for a brief respite.
St. Vincent de Paul Place Executive Director Jillian Corbin hopes the steamy days in the dining hall and kitchen will soon be a thing of the past. And in the future, St. Vincent could be a designated cooling center on sweltering summer days, while kitchen volunteers enjoy the cooler air.
Published January 27. 2021 3:40PM
Ledyard The United Way of Southeastern Connecticut has announced the distribution of $119,984 to local social services agencies through the Emergency Food and Shelter Program. The funding is made available through the Federal Emergency Management Agency to support access to food, shelter and housing cost assistance as determined by a local board.
The awards are as follows:
Mass shelter awards, to cover expenses for on-site housing with organizations with five or more beds in one location, were given to Covenant Shelter of New London ($12,500), New London Homeless Hospitality Center ($13,834), Reliance Health ($5,000) and Safe Futures ($5,000).
Rent and mortgage awards, to cover one month s worth of clients rent, mortgage or lot fees, were given to Always Home ($3,000), Catholic Charities Diocese of Norwich ($7,000), the City of Norwich ($10,000), Thames Valley Council for Community Action ($6,000), Salvation Army New London ($2,000) and the
CT Humane Society clinics expand to Norwich
Staff reports
Connecticut Humane Society will bring eight pop-up clinic days to Norwich over the next 18 months due to a $47,000 grant from PetSmart Charities.
Each wellness clinic sets up for one day with CHS staff in a central location, like senior centers, low-income housing and other community buildings. More than 1,400 pets have been served since the program began in 2016 all at no cost to families and individuals in need through wellness exams, weigh-ins, nail trims and flea/tick collars, as well as food, blankets and other pet supplies.
CHS has provided follow-up medical care on a limited basis in the past for pets from the wellness days, but the grant and program expansion will allow more of that to happen at CHS’ Fox Memorial Clinic and collaborating veterinary partners.
New London At the walk-up food distribution site at St. Mary’s Star of the Sea Church on Huntington Street, recipients on Friday collected prepackaged bags of canned goods and pasta, a 5 pound bag of potatoes, two bags of apples, a bag containing three or four pounds of frozen ground turkey, along with two or three bottles of juice and a half-gallon of milk.
“I haven’t used a food pantry in 15 years,” said Kasey Belair of Waterford. “I’m grateful for everything.”
Belair, whose hours were cut at Mohegan Sun Casino, said her husband is retired and her mother is disabled. Much of the food she received will be for her mother. Belair said she was surprised at the quality of the food in the distribution, especially the frozen ground turkey.
Norwich Logistics are being worked out this week for the city to join the statewide weekly food distribution network established by the Connecticut Food Bank and Foodshare starting next Monday at the former Foxwoods casino employee parking lot at 28 Stonington Road-Route 2 in Norwich.
Mayor Peter Nystrom said Monday that officials from Food Bank, local coordinators for the distribution, Mashantucket Pequot tribal and Norwich police all walked the expansive vacant parking lot on Friday to work out logistics for the site and to prepare for next Monday’s first distribution.
Nystrom said local agencies coordinating the distribution are seeking about 40 volunteers to staff six to eight drive-thru stations to place different types of food into recipients’ vehicles. To volunteer, call Norwich Human Services at (860) 823-3778 or St. Vincent de Paul Place soup kitchen at (860) 889-7374.