An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Home : News : Article View
NEWS | Oct. 14, 2020

Connecticut Guard members deliver food to families

By Tech. Sgt. Tamara Dabney 103rd Airlift Wing

DAYVILLE, Conn. – Members of the Connecticut National Guard partnered with the American Red Cross and the Department of Emergency Management to deliver boxes of food to families.

Through the Farmers to Families Food Box program, food that was destined for restaurants and bulk purchasers is rerouted to food-insecure households.

The federal government implemented Farmers to Families in April under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. The law authorizes the Department of Agriculture to buy up to $4 billion of food from U.S. producers. The boxes are then distributed to schools, food banks, faith-based groups and other nonprofit organizations that serve families.

Air Force Master Sgt. Sarah Lateano, with the 103rd Airlift Wing, has been mobilized for multiple relief missions during her career. She said the Guard’s ability to mobilize troops rapidly and operate in a joint environment contributes to the efficiency of the Farmers to Families mission in Connecticut.

“We have been working with different state and military agencies to get personnel and assets here within 24 hours to make sure that we can fulfill this mission,” said Lateano. “We come in and get the food to where it needs to go.”

The Guard provided the staffing and heavy equipment to transport approximately 480 food boxes. Each box contained fresh fruits and vegetables, dairy products or meat, or a combination.

The mission was a new experience for Airman Zachary Martineau, who joined the Guard less than two years ago.

“During hurricanes, they activate the National Guard. During riots, they activate the National Guard. They also activate us for stuff like this,” said Martineau, a transportation specialist assigned to the 103rd Logistics Readiness Squadron. “It feels good being on the front lines to help families that are in need. I feel like we’re actually making a difference.”

 

 

Related Articles
U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Ian McMahon, 103rd Security Forces Squadron, organizes bread trays for distribution at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Connecticut, Feb. 4, 2021. Airmen from the Connecticut National Guard’s 103rd Airlift Wing are supporting logistics operations at Foodshare’s drive-thru emergency distribution site.
Connecticut Air National Guard distributes food to needy
By Staff Sgt. Steven Tucker | Feb. 5, 2021
EAST HARTFORD, Conn. – As the 103rd Airlift Wing increases the number of activated personnel to support COVID-19 response missions throughout the state, a team of Airmen is lending a hand to help the many Connecticut...

U.S. Army Spc. Juan Herrera, 142nd Area Support Medical Company combat medic, at the Veterans Memorial Armed Forces Reserve Center in Danbury, Connecticut, June 24, 2020. In addition to providing care to COVID-19 patients and distributing medical equipment in his role as a Connecticut National Guardsman, Herrera has delivered food to local families in need during the pandemic. Herrera has also helped 30 families in Colombia, his home country.
Immigrant Guard member helps community at home and abroad
By Staff Sgt. Steven Tucker | June 25, 2020
DANBURY, Conn. – Hundreds of Connecticut National Guard Soldiers and Airmen have helped their communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. For one activated member of the Guard from Colombia, the response continues out of...

A CH-47 Chinook helicopter belonging to the Connecticut National Guard's 169th Aviation Regiment prepares to gather water from a local lake to dump on a brushfire burning on Lamentation Mountain in Berlin, Connecticut Oct. 23, 2024. This was the first time since 1995 that Connecticut National Guard aviation units conducted an aerial firefighting mission in state.
Connecticut National Guard Assists With Hawthorne Brush Fire
By Timothy Koster, | Nov. 4, 2024
BERLIN, Conn. – Forty aviators, firefighters, and support personnel from the Connecticut National Guard were activated to assist local and state emergency personnel with containing a brush fire that consumed more than 120...