Food Pantry
The food pantry enables clients to “shop” for food once a month. It is stocked with a wide variety of non-perishable foods, paper goods, personal hygiene items, meats, and fresh produce, including fruits and vegetables grown at the Gifts of Love farm. We provide training on the benefits of healthy food choices, ensuring that clients understand how such choices impact their overall health and well-being.
Thanksgiving Meal
During Thanksgiving week, we distribute a basket to our clients full of all the food necessary to put on a wonderful family holiday meal.
Weekend Food Backpack Program
We are on the front lines of fighting childhood hunger with our Weekend Food Backpack program. We distribute backpacks to over 350 students receiving free or reduced-cost lunch in need in Greater Hartford with easy-to-prepare meals and drinks for the family for the weekend and snacks for the student for the week. Students receive their backpacks from their schools at the end of each school week.
Basic Needs Programs
Household Items: Along with our food pantries, we support clients who need personal and household items. This is particularly important to clients who are leaving a shelter, experiencing a divorce, or have suffered a fire. Clients can “shop” our store for items such as:
- In-season clothing for the family
- Toiletries
- Bed linens, towels, pots, pans, dishes, and small appliances
Holiday Shoppe: During December, we collect gifts from the community and set up and decorate a Holiday Shoppe where our clients and their family can shop for their holiday gifts.
Operation Fuel: Gifts of Love administers the Operation Fuel Program. Operation Fuel is an emergency energy assistance program that provides a grant for households that fall within the income guidelines and are experiencing a financial crisis.
