What?
TEAM’s Project MANNA (Mobilizing Action for the Nutritional Needs of All) provides significant shipments of fresh, healthy foods to our local, partner food pantries each month. TEAM orders nutritious food items from wholesale distributor, Bozzuto’s Inc., including fresh produce (bananas, apples, oranges, pears, berries, green beans, potatoes, etc), eggs, dairy products (shelf-stable milk, butter, etc), proteins (turkey, chicken, beef, fish, nuts etc) that are sorted and delivered to our partner pantries’ shelves the same day for Valley residents to take home to feed themselves and their loved ones.
Pounds of healthy food provided since 2020
Meals provided since 2020
Average number of individuals served by our partner food pantries each month
Approximate number of children served by our partner food pantries each month
Approximate number of seniors served by our partner food pantries each month
Who?
TEAM, along with key business partners, purchases the food to support our partner food pantries:
TEAM Inc. is able to purchase all foods at wholesale cost from Bozzuto’s Inc., which saves about 25% off retail prices.
TEAM Inc. needs a loading dock for Bozzuto’s to drop these pallets of food each month. Contractor Nation in Seymour generously allows Bozzuto’s and TEAM to use their loading dock for a few hours to unload and sort our order.
Why?
An average of 2,263 residents right here in the Valley (Ansonia, Derby, Oxford, Seymour & Shelton) look to food pantries each month to find enough food to feed themselves and their loved ones. This includes over 600 children under the age of 18, and over 300 seniors over the age of 60. Inflation, especially at the grocery store, coupled with rising costs of housing, utilities, childcare and more, stretches household budgets to the brink. According to the USDA, a moderate-cost grocery budget for a family of four is nearly $1,200.* When the budget cannot cover this, households are turning to traditional brick-and-mortar food pantries in their neighborhoods, as well as Little Free Pantries which offer 24/7 access.
TEAM, Inc. serves over 17,000 individuals each year with a variety of services, and works closely with our partner pantries to refer and support our clients in gaining adequate access to food. TEAM aims to ensure that when any resident walks through the doors of our local partner pantries, they have an abundance of foods to choose from, including healthy options.
TEAM chooses to order and supply healthy food options to our local pantries because of the link between overall health and diet.
Just 20% of a person’s health is influenced by the medical care from doctors – the other 80% is correlated to social and environmental factors, such as access to healthy foods. In a study by Griffin Health from 2018-2020 of 1,200 patients, FOOD was the most frequent social need identified.
There is a clear link between “health and wealth”
- Low-income Valley residents have significant differences in their health status compared to their higher-income neighbors across many categories including rates of high blood pressure or hypertension and diabetes. Some of the leading causes of death for residents of this region are cancer, heart disease and stroke, and premature deaths due to heart disease are 18% higher in the Valley region compared to statewide numbers.** These diseases can be influenced by the quality of one’s diet.
- Many studies have shown that socioeconomic status impacts diet quality – in short, it is more expensive to eat healthy.
- Struggling to pay for the basics including housing & food, can lead people to delay or forgo necessary healthcare services such as prescriptions and exams.
By increasing access to healthy foods for the most vulnerable residents of our region, we can positively impact long-term health and well-being for thousands of people.
*USDA Food Plan, May 2024, one female adult age 19-50 yrs, one male adult age19-50 yrs, two children average cost through age ranges $240.58. Family of four average is exactly $1,179.26.
** Valley Community Index published by the Valley Community Foundation in November 2022.
How?
YOU can help make Project MANNA possible! Project MANNA relies on private donations that go 100% towards the purchase of food. To donate, please click the button below, and be sure to select Project MANNA from the dropdown.
If you or your company are deeply committed to ensuring our community has strong resources to support those in need, and would like to be a part of TEAM’s Project MANNA, please Contact Us.
Watch Our Video
Join Corporate Sponsors who have helped make Project MANNA possible
Heidi Kaplan
Rob & Loretta Lesko
Mario Garofalo Family Fund
Van Egghen Family Fund
Luise-Champagne Family Fund
News & Origins of Project MANNA
Groups collaborate to fill Valley pantries with fresh, healthful food
New Haven Register, 2020
Griffin, TEAM, Others, Donate To Valley Food Banks
Valley Independent Sentinel, 2020
In the Valley, A Growing ‘Empathy Movement’ is Feeding the Hungry
Valley Independent Sentinel, 2021
CT food pantries get healthy donations from Griffin Health
News 8, 2020
Additional News and Project MANNA Annoucements to Come!
Griffin Health, TEAM partner to fill Valley nonprofits’ pantries
The Valley Voice, 2020
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