Food Security Is a Community Responsibility

Dear Friend,

Too many of our neighbors are beginning the new year facing a chronic problem — the lack of reliable access to healthy, affordable food.

That reality diminishes all of us, especially in a region known for its abundance.

That’s why we’re kicking off 2026 by announcing the launch of Fairfield County’s Food Security Fund — a local, flexible vehicle to make sure families, children, seniors, and veterans can count on consistent access to nutritious food.

This fund is a response to urgent need and a commitment to lasting change.

For much of the past year, the ongoing challenge of food insecurity has taken on renewed urgency as the federal government curtailed funding for safety net programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

The fallout from recent federal disruptions continues to unfold as reductions in food assistance and stricter eligibility rules are slated to tighten further in 2026. More than 11,000 Fairfield County families are at risk of losing some or all their SNAP benefits; children in those households could also lose access to free school meals and summer nutrition.

And for many who remain eligible, a modest meal now costs roughly 50 percent more than the current SNAP allowance.

This evolving crisis isn’t just about food — it impacts the ability of our children to learn and grow, it impacts the health of families and seniors, it hurts our economy, and it weakens our community’s soul.

We can—and will—do better together.

This new fund aims to help address the urgency of the moment, but it also aims to contribute to larger-scale efforts to tackle some of the systemic problems that leave too many in our community hungry.

In the near term, the Food Security Fund will deploy rapid, flexible grants to stabilize frontline providers and prevent service interruptions.

We are intentionally reaching often-overlooked organizations and people who provide critical support—neighborhood and faith-based pantries; grassroots delivery networks serving families and seniors; school and afterschool nutrition programs; campus pantries for community college students; organizations supporting veterans and neighbors reentering the community; and local farms and community growers who keep culturally relevant food flowing.

Strengthening this web builds resilience now and for the long term.

But direct relief alone won’t solve a systemic problem. That is why the Fund also invests in advocacy—linking today’s grants to policy solutions that keep families fed tomorrow.

In 2026, we will join statewide partners to advance free school meals for every student in Connecticut and defend programs that work as federal rules shift. Policy change is how we transform a stopgap into a durable solution.

If you care about this issue, you can help today in several ways:

• giving to the Food Security Fund.
• recommending a grant from your donor-advised fund to hunger-relief partners.
• contributing to FCCF’s Community Impact Fund to address the interconnected challenges that drive hunger.
• raising your voice by supporting our Advocacy Fund or joining our Allies program.

Every dollar matters. Every action helps.

Food security is foundational to health, learning, and opportunity. When we feed our community, we invest in our shared future.

I invite you to stand with us—to meet the moment and to fix the system—so no neighbor in Fairfield County must choose between groceries, rent, medicine, or dignity.

In Community,

Mendi Blue Paca
PRESIDENT & CEO
FAIRFIELD COUNTY’S COMMUNITY FOUNDATION