Members from the Connecticut – Northern, Southern, and Western Area partnered with volunteers from three parishes to organize three food drives around the diocese of Bridgeport. The need for food has quadrupled in Connecticut since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Connecticut Area seized the opportunity to help out.  

The parishes that participated, St. Catherine/St Agnes in Greenwich, St. John in Darien and St. Lawrence in Shelton, raised an incredible amount of food donations for our Catholic charities in need. At a time when not everybody from our parishes are able to come together inside to worship, these food drives are building community outside. The food drives benefited The Thomas Merton Center and Blessed Sacrament Parish in Bridgeport and New Covenant Center in Stamford. 

On-hand to help were Father Bill Plat, ChM, pastor of St. Catherine/St. Agnes and a chaplain of the Order of Malta, Father Frank Hoffman, pastor of St. John’s and Father Michael Jones, ChM, pastor of St. Lawrence and chaplain of the Order of Malta and Deacon Frank Masso of St. Lawrence. 

Volunteers came from around the diocese to lend a hand. Fr. Ian Jeremiah, another chaplain for the Order of Malta came from a neighboring parish in Greenwich to help unload donations. 

Those who wished to donate were able to stay in their cars and pop their trunks, as volunteers were on hand for a quick and seamless unloading of donations. 

The NSW Connecticut Area of the Order of Malta has enjoyed a longtime, collaborative relationship with The Thomas Merton Center, New Covenant Center and Blessed Sacrament, working with them for years to help provide much needed resources for their programs. 

The Thomas Merton Center and New Covenant Center combined are providing approximately 1,200 meals a day, up from 300 meals a day at this time last year pre -pandemic. Some of these meals are delivered to clients of other local non-profits, including homeless shelters who don’t have food resources. The people being served are hourly workers who have recently lost jobs, immigrants, homeless or mentally ill individuals struggling to make ends meet. The Donoghues explained that it is even more important for us to support these charities at this time. 

At a time when we are forced to be apart; having these drive-thru food drives allows us to be together, while following all social distancing protocols. Not only did the people who are food insecure benefit from these food drives but friendships were forged between members of the Order and parishioners from different parishes. People of the diocese who were strangers worked together to serve others in our community, especially those who are most vulnerable, with the love and respect they deserve.