New England Public Radio

Food Pantries Feel Economic Strain, but Prepare to Provide Thanksgiving Meals

Managers of food banks and pantries across the region say a sluggish economic recovery and high unemployment has led to a greater need for food combined with fewer donations. But food pantries are still prepared to serve Thanksgiving dinner to hundreds of families this week.

At the Springfield Rescue Mission, some former donors to the food pantry are finding themselves on the receiving end this holiday season.

“We have people calling us and saying, ‘I know I’ve been a faithful giver for years, but I just can’t afford to do it anymore, and we completely understand,sometimes we even reach out to those people and offer them a Thanksgiving meal.”

That’s Julie Barnes, the mission’s community development assistant. She says despite a reduction in financial contributions this year, the mission has received enough in-kind food donations to serve 500 guests at its dining hall, and to deliver meals to 100 homes on Thanksgiving.

Springfield Rescue Mission doesn’t receive government funding. But other food pantries like the Enfield Food Shelf in Connecticut, which relies on regional food banks for 75% of its supply, are impacted by government cuts. Linda Bridge, executive director of the Enfield Food Shelf, says food banks have seen their federal support cut in half this year, which means she’s had to cut back on how much food she can distribute to families.

“Unfortunately, what I’ve had to do is I have to alternate, one week we’ll give out mac ‘n cheese, and the next week we’ll give out canned pasta.”

However, Bridge says Enfield food shelf has seen a surge in donations in the past several weeks, which she expects will continue through the holiday season before leveling off in January.

Hartford Anti-Violence Task Force a Success, Officials Say

Law enforcement and city leaders in Hartford, Connecticut say the first year of their anti-violence task force has proven successful. The Hartford Shooting Task Force is a collaboration between several police departments, prosecutors offices, and victims organization. Len Boyle, the state’s deputy chief attorney, says the task force has multiplied the number of investigators and detectives available to look into violent crimes, while also increasing penalties. Boyle says he thinks the strategy is working because the task force focuses on the small number of people who commit the highest percentage of violent crimes.

“And by targeting those people, we are able, I think, to deter some of them, who realize now that the heat is on, and also to generally deter that sort of conduct, particularly on the part of younger people. Because if it is seen that when you engage in a drive-by shooting, the police respond aggressively, it sends a message that law enforcement is in control, and it, I think, influences people’s behavior.”

There were eleven fewer shooting deaths in Hartford in a 12-month period that ended in July than in the previous period, and other gun crimes decreased as well.  Boyle says the next goal among law enforcement officials is to engage community members more closely in efforts to stop violence.

 
 

Connecticut AG George Jepsen Calls for Penalties on CL&P

Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen called for meaningful penalties today [Monday] for Connecticut Light and Power’s responses to last year’s Tropical Storm Irene and October Nor’easter. Jepsen filed a brief today with the Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority as part of an ongoing investigation into the preparation for and response to last year’s storms by the utilities. Jepsen says CL&P ignored warnings to activate an aggressive response to the storms, and misinformed customers about when their power would return. He says the next rate-making session for Connecticut utilities is several years down the road, but he wants the utility regulators to make a case against CL&P now to ensure that no storm recovery costs are passed on to consumers.

“We’re asking the regulators to make the findings while memories are fresh so that when the rate-making does take place, then an appropriate penalty will be exacted.”
 
Jepsen says he’s not concerned about the potential financial effects of a penalty on CL&P. Al Lara, spokesman for CL&P’s parent company Northeast Utilities, says the company has been through many reviews in the past months, including with consultants who have reviewed other utilities across the country.
 
“They had determined that CL&P’s overall performance, when compared to other utilities across our industry, was…consistent with industry norms.”
 
Lara says he expects utility regulators to announce findings from the investigation around August 1st.