Stratford community centers urge restoration of CDBG support after pantry operator not recommended for funding

At a public hearing for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding on Monday, April 7, Town of Stratford residents and nonprofit leaders described growing demand for food assistance and urged the town to consider restoring federal grant support for local pantry operations.

The comments centered on Sterling House and the Sterling Community Center, which both said CDBG funds are critical to daily operations that serve low-income and homebound residents. "For 16 of those 40 people, I'm the only person that they will talk to all day," said Leanne Reynolds, director of the resource connection at the Sterling House community center, describing her work arranging deliveries and referrals for homebound clients.

The plea mattered because town and federal sources fund programs that supply meals, partner referrals and weekly food packs for students. "Close to $100,000 of our budget comes directly from federal funds," said Amanda Meece, executive director of the Sterling Community Center, adding that the center receives about 10% of its operating budget from the town and relies on other federal and partner support.

Why this matters: Meece told the hearing the Sterling Community Center’s CDBG application supporting pantry services was not recommended by the allocation subcommittee for a second consecutive year. The center said it provides weekly services that together reach thousands: Meece said the organization feeds more than 4,000 Stratford residents annually and that its Food for Kids program supplies meals and snacks to 174 students each week.

Reynolds described an example day to illustrate the strain on staff and volunteers. She said she called 40 homebound residents to confirm delivery requests and that, after extended welfare checks and follow-ups, she had to buy $425 in groceries to restock the pantry. "Donations have dropped a lot and patronage of the pantry has increased," Reynolds said. She said the pantry served 35 people that day and that volunteers and staff coordinate pickups, deliveries and special accommodations for patrons who prefer to come after hours.

Meece framed the centers’ appeals within a broader funding environment she described as increasingly uncertain. She said cuts or changes at regional partners such as Connecticut Foodshare, United Way and other funders are creating downstream pressure on the center’s budget. "This year feels increasingly detrimental as we approach a federal climate where funding for our programs is at risk," Meece said. She told council members that the Sterling Community Center was the only applicant in town not recommended for CDBG funding this round and asked officials to review the volume and impact of the center’s services.

Representing the town’s community services, Tammy Trojanowski, director of community and senior services, expressed gratitude "for the proposed plan for the funding of the South End Community Center," saying she was speaking on behalf of staff who could not attend. Trojanowski did not present details of awards or allocation decisions during her remarks.

The hearing concluded with the chair noting there were no additional speakers and adjourning the public portion of the meeting; no formal funding decisions or votes were recorded at the hearing.

Votes at a glance: No motions or votes on CDBG awards were taken at the April 7 public hearing. The forum was a public comment period on the town’s CDBG allocations process.