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The What

The What: Food Insecurity and Access in Fairfield County, Immigration Community Forum in Norwalk, and more

The What is your look around southwest Connecticut for the week of December 16.

The What: Food Insecurity and Access in Fairfield County, Immigration Community Forum in Norwalk, and more
Happy early holidays from all of us at Coastal Connecticut Times! (Photo by Kelly Prinz)

Monday, Dec. 16

Happy Monday and happy holidays to all of our readers! 

We wanted to let you know that this will be the last full edition of The What for the next few weeks. We’ll have a short one next week laying out what the next few months look like for Coastal Connecticut Times (spoiler: we’re taking a little break to welcome Baby Prinz into the world!) and then some special edition ones after that for the next few weeks. 

More to come, but enjoy our last full edition and thank you to all of our readers for your amazing support! 

Highlights 

This section will give a brief overview of the key items in the newsletter.

Spotlight

This section will feature our main reporting each week.

A look inside Fairgate Farm in Stamford (Photo by Kelly Prinz)

Despite the fact that Fairfield County is home to some of the wealthiest communities in the country, many families are facing real challenges including food insecurity and a lack of access to fresh, healthy foods. 

Across the state, 18% of Connecticut families said they “could not afford enough food for themselves or their family at some point over the past year,” according to a new 2024 DataHaven Community Wellbeing Survey. Those percentages vary wildly across the state and the county, with about 6 percent in Greenwich and 7 percent in Fairfield stating they experienced food insecurity, compared to 30 percent of residents in Bridgeport. 

But despite these challenges, local nonprofits and community groups are working hard to tackle these issues and find solutions. From providing pay-as-you-can farmers’ markets to growing food indoors using hydroponic farms, from bringing healthy groceries to food deserts to teaching families how to grow their own produce, local efforts are underway to try and address some of these issues. 

Some food innovation bright spots include Fairgate Farm in Stamford, nOURish Bridgeport, and more. 

Explore our two-part series on food access across southwest Connecticut. Also, be sure to check out our video spotlighting Fairgate Farm’s efforts to address food insecurity and access in their city. 

Part 1: The Impact of Food Insecurity and Food Deserts in Lower Fairfield County

Part 2: Feeding Their Community: How Bridgeport, Stamford, and Norwalk Groups Are Making Food Accessible

This Week at a Glance

This section aims to highlight the most important meetings and news taking place each week.

  • In Bridgeport, the City Council will meet on Monday, December 16 at 7 p.m. and vote on approving an easement with The United Illuminating Company (UI) and The Connecticut Light and Power Company. 
  • In Stamford, this week is all about parks, with the Parks and Recreation Commission meeting on Wednesday, December 18 at 6:30 p.m. to review some updates to city parks, while the Parks & Recreation Committee of the Board of Representatives will meet on Thursday, December 19 at 7 p.m. and vote on making sure all city parks are zoned and kept as parkland. 
  • Also in Stamford, the Planning Board will meet on Tuesday, December 17 at 6:30 p.m. review plans for the Stamford Bioswales Initiative, which received $1 million from the EPA to expand green infrastructure in the city. Bioswales aim to “filter and remove pollutants from stormwater runoff before these contaminants negatively impact water quality in receiving waters, including Long Island Sound.” 
  • In Norwalk, there will be an Immigrant Community Meeting on Wednesday, December 18 at 6 p.m. featuring Mayor Harry Rilling, Superintendent Alexandra Estrella, Attorney General William Tong, Chief of Police James Walsh, and Chief of Community Service Lamond Daniels. The meeting will feature a “question-and-answer discussion where the audience will be invited to ask our panelists questions about how local and state government officials will be working together to continue to make sure the City of Norwalk and CT remain a welcoming place for immigrants.” 
  • In Fairfield, the Affordable Housing Committee will meet on Wednesday, December 18 at 7 p.m. and hear a presentation on a proposed mixed-use development at 441 Post Road.
  • In Greenwich, the Planning & Zoning Commission will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, December 17 starting at 4 p.m. on an application from Mason Street Partners, LLC to build a mixed-use, commercial, and an assisted housing development on Mason Street. The proposal calls for two buildings, where the first floor is retail, and the upper floors would be 75 residential units where 24 units would be affordable.
  • In Darien, the Board of Selectmen will meet on Monday, December 16 at 7 p.m. and vote on appointing a new town administrator. The board will also receive an update on the WestCOG Noise Abatement Study and flood-related work in the town.
  • In Westport, the Planning and Zoning Commission will meet on Monday, December 16 at 6 p.m. and review a request to replace the Cross Highway Bridge over Dead Man’s Brook with a new bridge featuring two lanes for vehicle traffic and 5-foot wide sidewalks.

Plan Your Week

This section will include a list of meetings, events, and programming happening around southwest Connecticut each week.

Bridgeport

Stamford

Norwalk

Fairfield

Greenwich

Darien

Westport

Stay in touch!

As we continue to grow and evolve, please join us! You can do that by:

Please note: All of these agendas and information here are current as of Sunday night. Meeting times and agendas may get adjusted throughout the week.

Have a great week,

Kelly Prinz

Founder, Reporter at Coastal Connecticut Times

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