|
|
Commission Activities
Community
Food Security Awards Supermarket Surveys
Policy recommendations to the Mayor and City Council
L-Tower Bus Route Summer
Food Service Program
Community
Food Security Awards
First
granted in 1997, the Commission's Community Food Security Awards were
created to draw attention to the food, nutrition and hunger issues
facing Hartford, and to honor those who are working towards greater food
security for all Hartford residents. They aim to bring public
recognition to the Awards' recipients and nominees, and increase the
public's knowledge of the organizations involved in creating community
food security in Hartford. The awards are given annually to individuals
or organizations that demonstrate successful strategies to improve
access to affordable, nutritious, and culturally appropriate food within
the City of Hartford. Winners are selected from three different
categories: Individual, Non-profit/Public Service/Government Agency, and
Business/For-Profit Organization.
The winners for 2007 are:
Susan Campbell: As a columnist and staff writer for the Hartford Courant, Susan Campbell describes the reality of hunger in our community with eloquence and compassion. Her writings focus on the human conditions brought about by hunger, lifting up the voices of those who struggle with a lack of food as well as those who advocate on their behalf. She has brought attention to innovative responses to these problems, such as a series of insightful articles about the Food Stamp Project’s $4-a-day-diet that enlisted volunteers to share in the everyday experiences of food stamp recipients. In all of these efforts, Susan Campbell exemplifies the best in what journalism can do to highlight important issues in the local community.
City of Hartford WIC Program: The Hartford WIC Program has operated since 1975 to ensure that pregnant women and young children are given access to fresh produce, milk, cheese and fruit juices; to encourage women to breast feed their infants; and to make families aware of local sources of nutritious food. This program uses federal resources to assist more than 9,000 Hartford residents each month. We are honoring the Hartford WIC Program for the many ways in which it goes far beyond the federal parameters of the program, such as operating on Saturdays, championing local produce at Hartford’s farmers markets, partnering with homeless shelters to reach families who are often left out of traditional social service programs, and sponsoring special events that combine good nutrition with grassroots empowerment.
Scotts’ Jamaican Bakery: Since 1978, Scotts' Jamaican Bakery has been a fixture in Hartford’s Northend and a culinary destination for those who appreciate exceptional Caribbean deserts. A generation of Hartford residents has grown up with Scott’s beef patties and Jamaican cooking. As this business has flourished and its clientele expanded beyond the boundaries of the city, Scotts' Jamaican Bakery has maintained a steadfast focus on building the local community. Its 8,000 square foot wholesale bakery plant serves as an economic anchor in the neighborhood, while its excellent food has brought greater awareness and appreciation throughout the region for Hartford’s cultural diversity.
Return to top
Supermarket
Surveys
Begun in 1996 in
partnership with the Citizen's Research Education Network, the
Commission's Supermarket Surveys are a research tool designed to track
the changes and differences in prices in a wide variety of area
supermarkets. The surveys make otherwise expensive and unobtainable
data available to residents of Hartford and the surrounding towns, with
the hope that such data will help residents evaluate local grocery
stores and aid them in their choice of stores. Though price is only one
of the many factors that determine a persons' food store choice, many
Hartford residents have limited transportation options and might not
otherwise be able to easily make this price comparison.
The
surveys are based on a 41-item market basket that approximates the type
a purchases a typical grocery shopper would make in a given week. The
item list was developed using general United States consumption
information reported in the Progressive Grocer Magazine,
the USDA's Thrifty Food Plan, and advice from researchers who have done
market basket surveys in the past. The list was then adapted according
to product availability in local stores so that accurate price
comparisons are possible.
The surveys contain a table listing
the prices of market basket items in each of the stores, and a summary
of price results. They also include a short article of helpful
information for consumers. Past articles have included information
about Hartford area Farmers' markets, food safety procedures, and
reasons to buy local food. The surveys are distributed to community
organizations, government offices and individuals throughout the city.
Copies of the latest survey can be requested by calling (860) 296-9325.
Return to top
Policy recommendations to the Mayor and City Council
Through correspondence, annual reports, and City Council hearings, the Commission advises municipal officials on key issues relating to food and nutrition in Hartford. In 2007, we have identified five action steps that can be achieved through city leadership this year: Renew a $60,000 food pantry grant program initiated by the City Council last year, expand Food Stamp and WIC enrollment outreach, increase school breakfast participation rates, improve coordination among Hartford's farmers markets, and expand the Healthy Food Retailer Initiative with neighborhood bodegas and corner markets.
Read our latest report, Five Action Steps to Fight Hunger in Hartford.
Return to top
L-Tower
Bus Route
Created
in August 2000 with temporary state and federal funding, the L-Tower bus
route was established as a part of the Greater Hartford CT-Transit
system to better serve residents of Hartford's North End as well as the
surrounding suburbs of Bloomfield, Manchester, South Windsor and
Windsor. Before the creation of the L-Tower line, riders from the
northern part of the city wanting to travel across town needed to
transfer to other bus lines in order to reach their destinations, often
spending large amounts of time traveling. The route allowed riders to
travel directly across town without transferring, affording them quicker
and more reliable access to stores, supermarkets, doctor's offices and
places of employment. In 2002 the Commission undertook efforts to
increase public awareness about the value of the L-Tower route and to
assure that it become a permanently funded CT Transit bus route.
Understanding that reliable, efficient transportation is key in assuring
that city residents have access to affordable, fresh, high quality food,
the Commission communicated with elected officials at the state and city
levels, the Connecticut Department of Transportation, officials from
CT-Transit and representatives from North End Community-based
organizations. In order to advocate for the continuation of the line,
the Commission conducted surveys with the route's rider ship, and
compiled a report outlining the results. Thanks to the efforts of
L-Tower route advocates, the line has remained a regularly schedule
CT-Transit route.
Return to top
Summer Food
Service Program
Since
1993, the Commission has been monitoring the participation rates and
quality of food at Hartford's Summer Food Service Program sites. The
Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), a national program funded through
the USDA, provides free summertime lunches to children in low-income
areas. Offered through school and community sites, this program takes
the place of the national school breakfast and lunch programs during the
summer months. Concerned with the low participation rates (estimated
to be about 24% of those eligible) and the varying quality of food
served through the program, the Commission conducted surveys with a
small pool of program participants and supervisors in both 1993 and
2001. These surveys demonstrated that the food served in the program
was often of poor quality, and because of this, much was being wasted.
From 1993 on, the vending contract was often awarded to an out-of-state
company, meaning that much of the food needed to be shipped frozen in
order to assure maximum freshness at the program sites. The lapse in
time between the preparation of meals and their distribution at the
sites is the main reason cited for the poor quality of the food. Using
a local vending contractor would decrease the amount of time between the
creation and distribution of the meals, thereby increasing the quality
and freshness of the food, and would also help bring jobs and money into
the local economy. Over the years, the Commission has advocated for the
use of a local vendor, and has focused its efforts on encouraging local
vendor to bid for the SFSP contract. To help in its advocacy campaign,
in 2001 the Commission wrote a position paper stressing the importance
of using a local vendor. The Commission continues to monitor the food
quality and participation rates in this important program.
To read the
Commission's position paper on the Summer Food Service Program,
click
here:
Return to top
Home
Directory of
Departments
Site Index
Website Contact:
311@hartford.gov
|
