City Workers Go The Extra YARD, Distribute 1,200 Soul Meals

Natalie Marshall, who has lived in the city for over a decade, said that life has been hard since even before the pandemic hit.

“Now I’m living on a fixed income, and that’s what’s making it a little difficult for me. I’m used to getting a paycheck every week,” said Marshall, a retire St. Raphael’s hospital worker. ​“But I think because of the pandemic, people have been needing more and there’s more food being given out.”

On Thursday, Marshall lined up with others in similar straits to receive a free soul food meal at the District 5 fire substation on Howard Avenue.

It was one of six locations where a crew from the New Haven Youth and Recreation Department (YARD) teamed up with city and Yale cops ConnCAT and to give away 1,200 meals in honor of Black History Month.

Each meal container included pre-made baked chicken, string beans, and rice.

Gwendolyn Busch Williams, director of New Haven YARD, said that her team decided on the idea of giving out soul food with the cuisine being connected to Black culture.

“You think of Sunday dinners when the family was coming together, and that’s a time for fellowship and love,” Williams said. ​“That was all in the cooking of the soul food.”

“YARD took the lead today to focus on Black History Month and to underscore the issues that communities of color are still facing including food insecurity,” Mayor Justin Elicker said.

Hill Alder Ron Hurt joined YARD in passing out bags. Hurt said that the Hill has a 30 percent food insecurity rate.

“Today is a good segue way into Black History Month, because this is how the Black family has done it,” Hurt said. ​“I’m from the South, and we all came together, and fed one another. We looked out for each other.”

Martina Brown (pictured) has been homeless for the past few months. Her only option was to stay with her mother from time to time until her mother passed away this month. Brown said that she has called 211 to receive housing services. In the meantime, she has been relying on disability payments, showers at friends’ houses, and food giveaways to get by.

Brown picked up a meal with a smile so wide that her pain was disguised.

“People really do need the help,” Brown said. ​“The city really needs to have more of these food giveaways, and they need to build more shelters for the homeless.”

Mark Rosina said that he’s going through a hard time to survive while waiting for social security benefits. He expressed gratitude for the increase in meal giveaways during the pandemic. ​“This meal is going to let me put something in my stomach that I don’t have the money for. I’m coping day by day. Once I get the money from social security then I might be a little more stable.”

YARD Coordinator of Youth@Work Programs Tomi Veale (on far right in photo) said the goal was to give an average of 200 meals per site. She noted that their department has provided other giveaways.

“The idea is to always keep our families and youth at the forefront of what we do. It’s a matter of thinking about the needs that we do have and to think about what we can provide as a department,” Veale said. ​“We’re going to always try and outdo what we’ve done previously.”

At the Wilmot Crossing stop, West Rock Alder Honda Smith joined YARD to hand out meals to passing cars and those who walked up to the site.

“This is my hood,” Smith said. ​“I’m proud of YARD. Things are getting a little better out here but the residents are still definitely in need.”

Latifa (who provided only her first name), 25, was one of the residents to walk up and grab a meal. She has been attending Stone Academy for nursing while also raising three young children as a single mom. Latifa hasn’t been working during the pandemic, so she has relied on stimulus checks and her savings to survive.

She said that she doesn’t know how she’s made it this far.

“I was pregnant during the beginning of the pandemic so I haven’t been to school for a year. This is my first week back to school since,” Latifa said. ​“This meal helps me out because tonight I won’t have to cook for my kids.”

After the stops, YARD collaborated with alders and police officers to distribute unclaimed meals to food pantries and homeless shelters.

YARD made final rounds near Amistad High School. Employees knocked on the doors at Presidential Gardens directly across the street and asked if any of the residents were in need of a meal.

Jesse Polk, an employee of Abacus Heating & Cooling, was given a few meals by YARD for his team.

Polk said that with working directly in people’s homes, he has seen firsthand on how people in the community are living.

“I’m happy to see people stepping up for the community. I hate to say it. but there’s not much food to be seen sometimes,” Polk said. ​“It’s really hard to see because I’m a father of three myself. To have a small child tell you that they’re hungry — I can’t even imagine that as a parent.”