"Care at Work" Food Tour Makes Local Impact
Jun 8, 2020
By Alan Fuehring / Bridgeport Islanders
The coronavirus pandemic has led to tough times all across our region, country and the world. For the Bridgeport Islanders, it brought a premature conclusion to the 2019-20 season, but that outcome was only very minor compared to the issues that the Covid-19 crisis has brought to families and businesses.
One of the Sound Tigers strongest partners, United Cleaning and Restoration, went well out of its way to make a big difference with Connecticut families last month.
“When the pandemic first hit, we wanted to say thank you to those on the frontlines,” said Licia Ciotti, Sales Manager for the Middlefield-based company. “We began feeding firemen and went around dropping off dinner at firehouses. You could immediately tell what it meant to them.”
“We continued by dropping off dinner at Yale New Haven Hospital and when we finished there, we thought, how else can we help? Food pantries were overloaded.”
United Cleaning and Restoration teamed up with the Drust family owned ShopRite’s out of Southington and Wallingford to create the “Care at Work - Feeding Families Food Tour” for the entire month of May.
Together, they presented nearly 200 Connecticut families with an entire week’s worth of groceries. That kindness found residents in 13 different towns, including Bridgeport, Norwalk, Milford, Branford, Bristol, Waterbury and others. One housing authority in Bridgeport was generously given 90 frozen meals to distribute to their members.
“Partners like United are one of the main reasons why this community is so great,” Sound Tigers Director of Corporate Sales John Lecardo said. “They certainly didn’t have to do this, but it says a lot and makes a very noticeable impact here in our area.”
“We were sitting with the Drust family and thinking, this is a great opportunity to do something meaningful,” Ciotti said. “We got a discount on food and many of the additional supplies were donated to make it happen.”
Families were selected through recommendations United Cleaning and Restoration’s clients. They visited areas of low-income households – families who either couldn’t get out due to Covid-19, didn’t have the funds, lost their jobs, or other reasons.
“I had one property manager who said, ‘You have no idea what this means.’ They were in tears,” Ciotti continued. There’s no better feeling than being able to help others during an extreme time of need. A lot of people are out there figuring out how to help themselves. It was a lot of work, going to stores shopping for 20 families at a time, but it was certainly very rewarding.”
“Our motto is ‘Care at Work,’ it’s the very thing we do,” Ciotti added. “It’s nice to put your money where your mouth is.”
