Daily Bread Food Pantry In Danbury Scores $5K Grant

**News Release Submitted by Daily Bread Food Pantry**

April 19, 2023

Daily Bread Food Pantry in Danbury, Connecticut recently received a $5,000 grant from Fairfield County’s Community Foundation to fund the purchase of fresh, healthy food for struggling families who visit the pantry.

Daily Bread Food Pantry, founded in 1984 and located on Terrace Place in central Danbury, is one of the oldest and largest providers of charitable food in southern Connecticut. The agency is run by more than 200 dedicated volunteers. Its mission: providing food free-of-charge to area households who are wrestling with food insecurity whatever the reason. Guest visitation skyrocketed during the COVID-19 pandemic and has continued to increase: the pantry now sees 2,000 and 3,000 people every week, six times pre-COVID figures.

“The FCC Foundation grant is certainly a timely one. We have been seeing record numbers of guests at Daily Bread over the past few months as COVID-19 era government aid programs unwind and inflation persists,” said Debbie Landzberg, Past President. “Funds will be used for the weekly purchase of thousands of pounds of fresh produce, eggs, and other healthy items to supplement food received from the pantry’s food bank and supermarket partners. We are grateful for this generous gift.”

Guests are invited to visit three times monthly and receive about 45 pounds of food each time. Every household carries away generous quantities of fresh, healthy food including produce, meat, dairy items, and baked goods along with an array of non-perishable products. The agency’s twice weekly large-scale distributions take place outside in all kinds of weather because its small building cannot accommodate the many guests who now visit. Shopping by appointment as well as home delivery are available to families who have difficulty visiting the pantry, such as the elderly and those with young children. Fairfield County’s Community Foundation promotes philanthropy as a means to create change in Fairfield County, focusing on innovative and collaborative solutions to critical issues impacting the community. Individuals, families, corporations, and organizations can establish charitable funds or contribute to existing funds. The Community Foundation follows the Council on Foundations’ national standards and has awarded over $390 million in grants to nonprofits in Fairfield County and beyond. As a trusted nonprofit partner and thought leader, Fairfield County’s Community Foundation brings together community organizers, business experts and philanthropists to solve our region’s challenges. Our goal is to create a vital and inclusive community, where every individual has the opportunity to thrive. For more information visit: fccfoundation.org"

In addition to providing nutritious food for food insecure families, Daily Bread offers guests new and lightly used clothing, personal care products, diapers, and other items not available through other programs such as SNAP. The pantry also provides guests with information about social services in the community through its text messaging platform, the agency website, and social media. Staffers from social service organizations who attend the pantry’s mass food distributions, share details about community resources with guests as well. Visit dailybreadfoodpantry.com.