<< Back

NFA Receives $10,000 President’s Award to Support Food Pantry

November 18, 2020

In New London County, the food insecurity rate for children is 16.8 percent, which means more than 8,930 children in our region are not certain where their next meal will come from.

To help, Backus Hospital has selected Norwich Free Academy as the 2020 recipient of the hospital’s President’s Award for Community Partnership.

The award includes a donation of $10,000 to support NFA’s Wildcat Loft and its efforts to combat food insecurity needs the greater Norwich area by restocking the shelves of the school’s food pantry. The Wildcat Loft also supplies toiletries and other essential items at no cost to students in need. The donation also helped purchase Thanksgiving meals for 50 students and their families.

“This has been a challenging time for everyone in our community, and especially difficult for young people whose families are struggling financially,” said Donna Handley, President of Backus Hospital and Windham Hospital. “Like Backus Hospital, Norwich Free Academy is part of the bedrock of our community, and we are honored to assist in the Wildcat Loft’s wonderful work — providing students with food, clothing and essential items to ensure health and maintain dignity.”

Established in 2011, the Backus Hospital President’s Award recognizes and seeks to assist community partners that collaborate with Backus to help improve health and quality of life in the community.

Past recipients of the Backus President’s Award include: Three Rivers Nursing Program, Norwich Safety Net Team and Community Care Team, Sprague Community Center, United Community and Family Services, United Way and Reliance Health.