Uncasville, CT (November 16, 2022) – Today, Connecticut Sun guards DiJonai Carrington and Courtney Williams helped pass out Thanksgiving boxes to New London residents in need at the New London Senior Center.
Alongside members of Connecticut Sun community partner FRESH New London, volunteers from Connecticut Sun sponsor Post University, and the Connecticut Sun front office; Carrington and Williams helped pass out close to 400 turkeys and serve approximately 350 families.
“Any time we as an organization have the chance to volunteer in the community and help our neighbors and community partners, it is really special. Thanksgiving is such a wonderful time to reflect on the blessings we all have in our lives. All of us at the Sun are incredibly fortunate to know where our meal is coming from during this holiday, so to give others in our community that same joy and sense of food security is truly amazing.” – Morgan Tuck, Connecticut Sun Director of Franchise Development
FRESH distributes boxes of food every Wednesday from 11:00-2:00pm to friends and neighbors in need. These boxes are available free of charge to any New London resident that needs one. The food distribution program was created during the COVID-19 pandemic to address the gap in services that families were receiving, especially families that are disproportionately affected by health disparities.
“As a result of the event today, 2500-3000 individuals will have Thanksgiving dinner,” stated Esther Pendola, Coordinator of Food for the People for FRESH New London. “We wanted to start this [food distribution program] to make sure that everyone had access to food and to make sure there were as few barriers as possible to accessing that food. We would love any volunteers to get involved, not just on Thanksgiving but throughout the year! We are here every single Wednesday to make sure families get food.”
FRESH received its donations through its UW Gemma Moran Food Bank and Connecticut Foodshare partnerships; and Post University generously donated $6,000 to help supplement the supply of food for the distribution.
“I think it’s important for Post to spend quality time with people–helping them out and being more involved in what they need,” remarked AJ Stewart with Post University Partner Engagement. At Post University, we’re about furthering education, furthering opportunity, and helping people achieve their daily goals; and I think being here on the ground in New London helping folks out, helping them not have to worry about their meal on Thanksgiving so that they can enjoy their family, really embodies our slogan of ‘Post Makes It Personal’.”
About FRESH New London:
FRESH New London builds momentum for food system change by connecting communities, with a focus on youth of New London. We work to create the conditions for everyone to access food with dignity and have real control over their food access. We grow food as a way to reclaim land, highlight cultural relevance, inspire leadership, and incite change.
About Post University:
Based in Waterbury, Connecticut, since 1890, Post University is known for its focus on providing online and on-campus students an extraordinary educational experience with a level of personalized support that addresses their needs. Among the first in the nation and the first in the state of Connecticut to offer full degrees online, Post works with students to assist them with meeting their personal aspirations and career goals. Post University accomplishes this by providing students with their own academic counselors who assist them during their time of enrollment and provide information on the variety of support services available to students and programming options in a variety of career areas. Many programs have minors and areas of concentration that allow students to focus on career areas that are of specific interest to them.
In the spring of 2021, Post established two schools at its campus — American Sentinel College of Nursing & Health Sciences and the School of Continuing Education. These schools proudly join with The Malcolm Baldrige School of Business, School of Arts & Sciences, and John P. Burke School of Public Services and Education in continuing Post University’s tradition serving the community by providing quality educational services.
Post University takes pride in its students and has a comprehensive Honors Program in place to recognize their academic achievements and scholastic accomplishments. Post University is proud of its NCAA Division II athletics program and its pioneering role in online education for more than twenty years. Post University is licensed by the state of Connecticut through the Office of Higher Education. Post University is institutionally accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE) and has been continuously accredited since 1972.
Post is ranked among the best by U.S. News & World Report and recognized as a Top Workplace USA 2021 and 2022.
Established in 2003, the Connecticut Sun is a professional women’s basketball team in the Women’s National Basketball Association that takes residence at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT. For additional information or to purchase season tickets, visit www.connecticutsun.com.
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