Local Vegan Donates Plant-Based Thanksgiving Meals

As veganism continues to grow in popularity, more Americans are saying ‘move over turkey’ this Thanksgiving than ever before, and one local vegan is helping those in need to enjoy a plant-based holiday.

Richard Hubbard, Housatonic Community College’s webmaster, is donating ten vegan Thanksgiving meals to food pantries in Torrington, Fairfield and Bridgeport. Bags filled with fresh produce, spices, rice, quinoa, nuts, vegan pumpkin pies, and more were delivered to Friendly Hands Food Bank in Torrington, Operation Hope Food Pantry in Fairfield and Bridgeport Rescue Mission.

“This is so appreciated,” said Michelle Stearns, Volunteer Coordinator for the Operation Hope Food Pantry. “A vegan meal is something that most people don’t think about, and to be able to offer a plant-based meal to those that are vegan is great. For people that are food-insecure, it isn’t easy to put together a meal like this that they can enjoy.”

Hubbard, a Torrington resident, made the switch to a plant-based diet as part of a weight-loss journey. As he adopted healthier eating habits and lost 150 pounds, Hubbard went vegan for health and ethical reasons. Through a GoFundMe page he raised funds for the donation, and focused on helping families in the greater Bridgeport area and at home.

“I’m happy to help those in need who share this healthy lifestyle, and each bag will feed a family of four,” said Hubbard.

For details on these food pantries, visit www.fhfb.org, www.operationhopect.org, and www.bridgeportrescuemission.org.