Connecticut Food Bank Dedicates Nancy Carrington CEO Office

From Connecticut Food Bank:

WALLINGFORD, CT – The Connecticut Food Bank today dedicated the Nancy Carrington CEO Office at its Wallingford headquarters and distribution center. The honor was in recognition of Carrington’s nearly 30 years at the helm of the organization, including the period of planning for the Connecticut Food Bank move to new space in Wallingford.

The naming was the result of a pledged gift of $100,000 toward the construction of the new building from Watson Foods, Inc., of West Haven, a longtime supporter of the Connecticut Food Bank. Carrington and Watson Foods President Jim Watson joined Connecticut Food Bank CEO Bernie Beaudreau for the installation of a plaque recognizing the naming.

Watson Foods President Jim Watson said the company chose to recognize Carrington with the naming made possible by their gift because of the company’s respect for her leadership and commitment to hunger relief. “We felt that this was a fitting way to recognize Nancy and the thirty years she dedicated to the Connecticut Food Bank,” Watson said. “Nancy had a deep connection with the community she served and this helped shape her vision for the future of the Food Bank in relation to growing food insecurity. That vision has now been realized in the new Wallingford facility.”

Accepting the plaque, Nancy Carrington thanked Watson for their sustained support of the Connecticut Food Bank and for their significant gift toward the new facility. “It’s wonderful to see the building come to fruition and to see it so well utilized,” Carrington said. “And it wouldn’t be possible without the leadership support of Watson and our other corporate partners.” Carrington also noted Watson’s long history with the Connecticut Food Bank. “I remember most your generosity toward the Connecticut Food Bank with your support of hunger action month, the produce donated from your employee garden and in so many other ways,” Carrington added.

“I’m honored to carry on in the footsteps of Nancy Carrington, who did so much to build this organization and to advance the fight against hunger in Connecticut,” Beaudreau said. “I’ve known and respected Nancy for more than 20 years. We are grateful for her vision for this building that will take us into the future.” Beaudreau also thanked Watson Foods for their sustained support of the Connecticut Food Bank. “With gifts of money, food and volunteer hours, the Watson team has made an important difference in our ability to fulfill our mission to feed hungry people.”

In addition to the $100,000 pledged gift, Watson has provided thousands of dollars to the Connecticut Food Bank in support of its work, as well as thousands more in donated food items, including a recent campaign on Facebook that resulted in a $2,500 gift and more than $2,000 raised in Connecticut Food Bank Walk Against Hunger events in 2014 and 2015. The company has provided more than 4,000 pounds of a specially enriched pancake mix distributed through the Connecticut Food Bank to programs in its network that provide meals in soup kitchens and residential and day programs. Watson employees have donated nearly 700 pounds of fresh produce so far this year raised at their company garden and have volunteered packing food for the Connecticut Food Bank Kids’ BackPack program.

Images via Connecticut Food Bank.