NEW HAVEN, CT – More than 600 families facing food insecurity will continue to have access to meals because of a new partnership between two nonprofits.
“We believe food is a dignity and a right and no one should go hungry under any circumstances,” said Winston Sutherland, associate director of the Community Soup Kitchen (CSK).
On Wednesday, the CSK announced a partnership with Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services (IRIS), a nonprofit agency that helps refugees and other displaced people establish new lives.
Last month, IRIS announced that it will be closing its New Haven office and cutting staff based on the sudden cancellation of federal funding it had previously budgeted, putting the fate of its food pantry in jeopardy. Under the new arrangement, CSK will consolidate operations at the former IRIS food pantry and cover expenses.
“When refugees arrive here, not only do they find a stocked pantry, they get a home-cooked meal,” said Maggie Mitchell Salem, IRIS’ executive director. “It says you are welcome here. Food means welcome.”
Johanna Snyder, the food pantry manager at IRIS, said the organization is feeding more people with less resources than ever. She criticized Connecticut’s state support of food programs, noting that neighboring states spend exponentially more.
Snyder took the opportunity, with Gov. Ned Lamont present at the event, to advocate for passage of House Bill 7021. That bill, which would increase funding for nutrition assistance programs and the purchase of fresh produce, advanced out of the Human Services Committee by a unanimous 23-0 vote and would appropriate $10 million annually to the Department of Social Services for its Supplemental Nutrition Commodities Assistance Program.
“One in eight people in Connecticut experience food insecurity, and one in six children,” she said. “Public support is more important than ever.”
New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker hands out pineapples to clients of the IRIS food pantry on Hamilton Street in New Haven on April 23, 2025. Credit: Donald Eng / CTNewsJunkie
Mayor Justin Elicker described New Haven as a city that welcomes immigrants and refugees.
“That’s what the United States is when we are at our best,” Elicker said. He lamented the “very different view of immigrants, refugees and those in need” that had permeated the federal government and led to cuts to programs like IRIS.
“These cuts hurt our status in the world, and they hurt our neighbors,” he said.
Lamont agreed, saying that supporting refugee communities is “what we are all about as Nutmeggers.”
“We are a welcoming city. We are a welcoming state,” Lamont said. “That’s what makes us special.”
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