EHS Westport Hosting a Food Drive to Help Fairfield County

In Fairfield County the living wage needed to modestly support a family consisting of two adults and two children is $32.32 per hour or $67,227 a year. Often, the working poor earn only Connecticut’s minimum wage, which in 2012 is $8.25 per hour. At the 2012 minimum wage rate, both adults would have to work 10 hours a day, 7 days a week for the entire year, just to earn $60,060. This family cannot make ends meet despite both adults working 10 hour days. Faced with this dilemma, many must choose between eating nutritiously or paying the rent. Therefore, they are forced to obtain food via food pantries, soup kitchens, and shelters that are Food Bank member agencies.

In Connecticut, one out of every five children is hungry or at risk of hunger. School holidays and vacations are an additional strain, as these children do not receive the Federal Free Breakfast and Lunch while not in school.

In lower Fairfield County, the need for emergency food has doubled in volume in just the past 5 years.

The Food Bank distributes more than 2,000,000 pounds of food per year.