Hunger doesn’t always look the way you expect.
That’s what two Southbury teens realized, and what has pushed them to start Feed The 203, a homegrown initiative focused on supporting families facing food insecurity.
The pair of Pomperaug High School juniors, Ari Lewis and Christian Cisowski, are spending their summer raising awareness about the issue their hometown isn’t immune to.
In Connecticut, about one in seven people are food insecure, totaling over 500,000 residents in our state, according to the nationwide non-profit Feeding America.
So like their name suggests, Feed The 203 will look to tackle the problem at the local level.
Launched this summer, the local initiative is holding their first fundraising event on Friday, July 25, at Scoopin’ Ice Cream Shop, located at 385 Main St. S.
Ten percent of all sales between 5 and 9 p.m. will be donated to Feed The 203 to support the Southbury Food Bank.
“No one should have to go through food insecurity, especially as a family,” said Lewis.
Growing up in Southbury, Lewis says his lived experiences with other local families showed another side to existing stigmas of living in a relatively-wealthy state.
“We saw that there was a disparity with food in our area,” Lewis added.
Though the students say they’re starting small, their long-term goals are ambitious.
“This isn’t just a summer project,” says Cisowski.
Currently operating as a local charity group, they plan to apply for nonprofit status within the next year. They see the initiative as something they can carry on through high school, even as they both participate in team sports.
The vision is local now, but moving to a bigger scale and donating to multiple food banks around the area will come with growth, they say.
“We’re hoping to end food insecurity as much as we can in our local area, expanding if needed,” said Cisowski.
To support Feed The 203, visit feedthe203.org.
The Southbury Record 