CRT’s Free Community Resource Fair is Thurs., May 27 in Hartford, on WFSB News 3

Happening today! Community Renewal Team (CRT) is hosting a FREE Community Resource Fair on Thursday, May 27, 2021 from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm outside their main offices at 555 Windsor St., Hartford. Roger Susanin from WFSB News 3 shares the details:

Services include:

  • Free walk-up COVID-19 vaccination clinic with Community Health Center, Inc.
  • Rental Assistance services with UniteCT
  • Sign up for health insurance with Access Health CT
  • Free Food Distribution from The Salvation Army

You can also meet with representatives from many of CRT’s programs that day, including: Behavioral Health Services, Community Services (incl. Basic Needs, Foreclosure Prevention Housing Counseling, Case Management, and more), Elderly Nutrition/Meals on Wheels, Early Care and Education, Energy Assistance and Weatherization, SNAP outreach and more.

Plus, there will be a FREE ice cream truck from noon to 2:00 pm!

Social-distancing rules will be in effect – please wear a mask!

 

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CRT’s Newsletter for May 2021 is Now Available

In CRT’s monthly newsletter for May, we feature the upcoming Community Resource Fair that will take place on Thursday, May 27, 2021 outside of CRT’s main offices located at 555 Windsor St., Hartford.

We also highlight a recent visit from members of Connecticut’s Congressional delegation to CRT’s offices where they touted the importance of passing the American Families Plan.

Read the May 2021 newsletter now.

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Community Renewal Team Hosts Free Community Resource Fair in Hartford on May 27

Hartford – The month of May is “Community Action Month” and to help commemorate this occasion, the Community Renewal Team (CRT) is hosting a free “Community Resource Fair” on Thursday, May 27, 2021 (from 10:00 am – 3:00 pm) at its main offices in Hartford (located at 555 Windsor St.).

“Each May, during Community Action Month, we reflect on the impact CRT and our network has had on individuals and families throughout our service area,” said Lena Rodriguez, President and CEO of CRT. “Last year alone, we served 20,981 households and over 44,000 individuals throughout Hartford County and Middlesex County. And the national Community Action Network helped more than 15 million across the country with immediately needed services such as shelter and food, as well as long-term solutions like education and job placement.”

To celebrate the continued success of Community Action and raise awareness in our local community, CRT along with support from several other partner organizations is hosting a free Community Resource Fair on Thursday, May 27, 2021.

Services that day include:

  • Free walk-up COVID-19 vaccination clinic with Community Health Center, Inc.
  • Rental assistance services with UniteCT
  • Sign up for health insurance with Access Health CT
  • Free food distribution from The Salvation Army

Individuals can also meet with representatives from many of CRT’s programs that day, including: Behavioral Health Services, Community Services (incl. Basic Needs, Foreclosure Prevention Housing Counseling, Case Management, and more), Elderly Nutrition/Meals on Wheels, Early Care and Education, Energy Assistance and Weatherization, SNAP outreach and more.

Plus, there will be a free ice cream truck from noon to 2:00 pm!

Social-distancing rules will be in effect at this event – please wear a mask.

More information is available in the Events section of CRT’s website.

For more information, please contact CRT’s Communications Director, Jason Black at 860-230-4535.

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CRT Welcomes Senators Murphy and Blumenthal, Rep. Larson to Promote Passage of American Families Plan

On Thursday, May 6, 2021, CRT welcomed both Senator Chris Murphy and Senator Richard Blumenthal, as well as U.S. Representative John Larson and Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin to CRT’s headquarters in Hartford to discuss the importance of passing the ambitious American Families Plan proposed by President Joe Biden.

The work that CRT does every day is exactly what the American Families Plan is designed to accomplish: helping individuals AND families access resources that will help end the cycle of poverty.

Last year, CRT served 20,981 households and over 44,000 individuals throughout Central Connecticut.

  • 79% of the households served by CRT’s programs and services are between Zero and 200% of the federal poverty limit.
  • 27% of those households we serve are single parent households.
  • 33% are employed either full or part time, while 45% are unemployed.

Under the American Families Plan there are tremendous opportunities that would be passed along to the families that CRT serves, such as:

  • Providing four additional years of free education by providing Universal Pre-K schooling to ALL three- and four-year-olds;
  • Ensuring childcare is affordable to all low- and middle-income families;
  • Increasing funding for nutrition assistance and healthy school meals;
  • Extending tax cuts for families with children and American workers, and expansion of the Child Tax Credit from $2,000 per child to $3,000 per child for six-years old and above, and $3,600 per child for children under six.

That last item is tremendous. Can you imagine how this would benefit parents? Families would receive regular payments that allow them to cover household expenses as they arise.

CRT thanks our Senators and Congressman for their hard work protecting families here in our state, and across the country.

Pictured above (left to right): U.S. Senator Chris Murphy, CRT’s CEO Lena Rodriguez and U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal.

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CRT Hosts First ‘Congregate Friendly Feud’ for Seniors, WFSB’s Scot Haney is Guest Host

CRT hosted its first “Congregate Friendly Feud” on May 5, 2021, with a team of five from the Enfield Senior Center (Mark Twain) competing against a team from South Windsor. It was a close contest, but in the end Enfield prevailed, beating South Windsor by just 70 points!

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the seniors that CRT serves in the Greater Hartford area through its Nutrition Department could gather at a congregate meal site (aka Community Cafe) – such as their local Senior Center – to partake of a hot, nutritious meal and to socialize with one another. While CRT has been able to provide nutritious “Grab-and-Go” meals to the seniors we serve during the course of this past year, COVID-19 has prevented them from receiving an extremely valuable component of our program: socialization in a group setting. This game was one of the first such opportunities in about a year.

This first event was a spirited competition, and CRT looks forward to hosting more of these games for seniors in our communities in the coming months.

All of the seniors involved had a wonderful time, and Scot Haney from WFSB News 3 was an incredible host – everyone loved having him with us!

CRT thanks the National Association of Nutrition and Aging Services Program for the grant to make these events possible.

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