Your Stories: Community Benefit in Action – The Joan C. Dauber Food Pantry

Scan this QR code to submit your department's Community Benefit activities.

In 2022, the food pantry transitioned from a traditional emergency food bank offering dry goods to a “green” pantry, offering nutritionally sound perishable and non-perishable healthy choices to the community. Through funding from the Department of Agriculture, a partnership with the Local Food Partnership Association (LFPA) was developed, allowing the sourcing of produce, eggs, and organic dairy products from local farmers.

The effort to improve access to quality whole foods was in response to the ongoing food insecurity and food apartheid experienced in the North End of Hartford. “It’s not enough to distribute food to the community, it also needs to be nutritionally sound,” said Carolyn Alessi, MBA, Regional Director, Community Health and Well-Being. “As a health care system, we have a commitment to improving the overall health and well being of our community, which means ensuring the food we distribute is nutritionally sound so that those seeking food assistance can be supported in managing their chronic conditions.”

The food pantry has also partnered with COMPASS Youth Collaborative on their Transitional Employment Program (TEP) as part of the Hospital-based Violence Intervention Program (HVIP). The TEP grew out of the long-standing HVIP, which supports wraparound care for patients who are victims of violence to ensure social care needs are met when they are discharged from Saint Francis. Research shows that youth who have been impacted by violence are at high risk for experiencing violence again and are often not ready for traditional job placement programs but ARE in need of a safe space to practice skills. The program offers a range of learning opportunities and provides a safe place for participants to hone employment skills. Along with the valuable work experience, participants have the opportunity to continue their education and earn career certifications.

“At the food pantry, we give teens and young adults a chance to work around their mistakes, to grow and be better in their community as well as their place of employment,” said Taurean Minnefield, TEP Coordinator for COMPASS Youth Collaborative. “We deal with high-risk youth. The more they’re involved with something positive, the more they’re off the streets.”

TEP provides youth with the professional skills they need to gain and maintain meaningful employment. Program participants are provided the opportunity to build job skills that are transferable into various workforce sectors, as they develop hard and soft skills to be productive members of a team and their communities. Youth participants work alongside COMPASS program managers and food pantry staff and volunteers to give back to their community by serving those most in need. Some of their duties include stocking shelves, taking inventory, unloading trucks, and using pallet jacks. “Because we have the partnership with Saint Francis, we know when someone has been a victim of violence and we can meet them with the purpose of not only having the physical healing, but the mentorship and behavior change over time,” said Jacquelyn Santiago, Chief Executive Officer, COMPASS Youth Collaborative.

You can watch a feature about the TEP partnership that aired on WTNH News 8 by clicking HERE.

“We can do so much more for our community if we think about the resources and opportunities we have available within our health care system,” added Alessi. “That’s where I feel like connecting those dots and creating those opportunities really demonstrates to our community that we’re committed – we’re committed to them for the long haul.”

The Joan C. Dauber Food Pantry is more than just a food resource, it’s a Community Benefit Initiative that aligns with the mission to address social determinants of health and create sustainable change. Whether through food security, workforce development, or wraparound services, these programs reflect our commitment to strengthening the health and well-being of our community.

If your department has activities that may qualify as Community Benefit, you are encouraged to submit them through the Trinity Health Of New England form online HERE. Alternatively, you can scan the QR code to easily submit. 

Let’s show the full impact of what Trinity Health Of New England can do together. Don’t let your efforts go unnoticed – submit today and make your work count!

Submitted by Jacob Diogostine, Regional Coordinator of Community Benefit, Trinity Health Of New England.

Have a story you want to share? Submit your story at TrinityHealthOfNE.org/YourStories