Greenwich school sending food to Stamford nonprofit
STAMFORD — The city’s New Covenant Center is getting free lunches — and other food items — courtesy of a Greenwich private school and a national effort to reduce food insecurity.
The partnership between Eagle Hill School and Food Rescue US-Fairfield County means that food packaged for the students at the school but not served will instead be delivered to those who need it.
“The ongoing need to feed the hungry, homeless and other disadvantaged people is not going away,” John Gutman, executive director at New Covenant Center, said in a statement. “Our young people — the next generation — have started to volunteer and to help those most in need find a better path to a better life.”
Eagle Hill has been offering its students and staff individually packaged lunches since classes opened for the 2020-21 school year, according to the statement. But not all of those packaged lunches, sides and snacks are consumed.
Tom Cone, assistant head of school, established the partnership with Food Rescue US “to reduce the school’s food waste by providing unopened food items to New Covenant Center,” which has a mission of providing nutritious meals to all those who are hungry.
“Eagle Hill is a school that for a long time has been dedicated to community
service. This partnership will further the Eagle Hill School mission of supporting those in need in our community, ‘’ Cone said.
The school has been donating its unused unopened lunches since the beginning of October, with members of the Eagle Hill faculty delivering the food to organizations in the area.
Food Rescue US has 200 registered food rescuers in Greenwich who will take part in transporting food items to New Covenant Center in Stamford.
“We are thrilled to have our first Greenwich school donating their excess food to our food insecure neighbors. School meals are the
perfect donation because they offer a range of nutrition from protein to fresh vegetables and fruit which is hard to come by,” said Danielle Blaine, site director for Food Rescue USFairfield County.
Food Rescue US-Fairfield County works with more than 19 school and universities in Fairfield County and more than 170 food donors.
“Especially during a pandemic and with increasing climate change, it is a win-win to donate excess food for those who do not know where their next meal will come from, and to keep this excess food out of landfills where it is causing harm to the planet,” Blaine said.