New Britain City and Schools Face Hunger

Despite New Britain schools entering their second year providing free breakfasts and lunches to all students, many families with young children are still food poor and must often make difficult choices on what types of food to eat.

Twenty-three percent of city residents, 16,441 people, live below the poverty level. More than 300 students are identified as homeless. In addition, 65% of the district’s 10,000 students are on SNAP (food stamps).

To address these poverty and hunger issues, the city, schools and nonprofits have teamed up to provide food resources, whereby any student from any city school can walk in and get a meal; and offering breakfast and lunch at many sites in the summer when school is out. Beginning next month, a newly designed $100,000 food truck will deliver free food to areas in the city deemed to have the most residents in need. 

Source: New Britain Herald, 10/28/16, Hunger in New Britain